In the battle between Prince Harry and the related newspapers, the Prince's appearance in person in court feels like a game of ultimate power.  

The prince has issued a challenge to a newspaper organization that, in his opinion, has made his life a living hell and that he and others claim has done so by using illegal tactics.

Many people were surprised by his appearance today at the High Court in London. Anyone who has followed his conflicts with the media, particularly with the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, was less surprised by it.

Harry has after all promised to make press reform his "life's work"

This will give you an idea of his priorities: A prince who lives more than 5,000 miles away from London and is estranged from his family arrives by plane from Los Angeles to enter Court 76 through the Royal Courts of Justice's storied doors.

He may or may not go to his father's coronation, we do not yet know. We are aware that he wished to attend the very first hearing in this particular case. When it comes to the media, Prince Harry is not one to hold back.

He describes "a dreadful mob of dweebs and crones and cut-rate criminals and clinically diagnosable sadists along Fleet Street" in his autobiography Spare.

He has them on his radar. Attending court was about optics as much as it was about open justice. The press reaction to his arrival is also fascinating.

The story was prominently displayed at the top of The Sun's website, with the headline "Today is your day in court. Harry makes a surprise appearance in London ".

The Times, Guardian, and Telegraph all prioritized the story on their digital platforms. Mail Online, to put it mildly, had other news priorities.

Users had to scroll down Mail Online for a long time to find the story about the duke's court appearance over what it called "hacking claims" against its parent company.

Technically, it is not covered by hacking. The scope of the claims is much broader.

Trial in this case is still pending.

It will be a very important turning point if it eventually proceeds to a full trial.

The seven claimants—including Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sadie Frost Law, Sir Simon Hughes, and Elizabeth Hurley—a claim that Associated Newspapers engaged in serious criminal activity.

The claimants' attorneys describe the allegations as "gross invasions of privacy," including the use of bugging devices placed inside people's homes and cars, secretly listening in on private phone calls as they were being made, posing as people to obtain personal information, and other similar activities.

All of this is categorically denied by Associated Newspapers, which also pledges a fierce defence "if that proves to be necessary."

This week's pre-trial hearing is determining whether the case can proceed and whether the claimants' supporting evidence can be used.

He took a seat two seats away from his fellow claimant Frost Law, who had a notepad and a bottle of water on the table in front of him.

There is a lot of interest in this hearing due to the seriousness of the allegations and the high profile of those involved, but there is not enough space in the courtroom to accommodate everyone.

The strict court order allows journalists like me and my producer to watch the proceedings remotely over a video link.

Tom Symonds, a BBC correspondent who splits his time between the courtroom and the Strand outside, is also present in the case to broadcast from the live cameras there.

A lawyer for the BBC, the Guardian, ITN, and Reuters is also present in court to argue their media organizations' position regarding the reporting restrictions under discussion.

Prince Harry has sent Associated Newspapers a clear message by showing up.

He will also be involved in cases against other media companies.

The Daily Mirror's owner, Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), will go on trial in May for allegedly hacking phones between 1996 and 2011.
MGN refutes the assertions made by, among others, the estate of George Michael, former Girls Aloud singer Cheryl, and Prince Harry.

A lawyer for the BBC, the Guardian, ITN, and Reuters is also present in court to argue their media organizations' position regarding the reporting restrictions under discussion.

Prince Harry has sent Associated Newspapers a clear message by showing up.

He will also be involved in cases against other media companies.
The Daily Mirror's owner, Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), will go on trial in May for allegedly hacking phones between 1996 and 2011.

MGN refutes the assertions made by, among others, the estate of George Michael, former Girls Aloud singer Cheryl, and Prince Harry.