Courtroom drama: Prince Harry at the Rolls

Last time I sat in court 15 of the Rolls Building was March 2022. Music megastar Ed Sheeran was sitting behind his lawyers for the start of a High Court copyright row over his song Shape of You. This time, only three lawyer-packed benches separated me and Harry, Duke of Sussex, who was in the witness box giving evidence in his case against Mirror Group Newspapers.

Same courtroom, two very different experiences as an observer. For Ed, I walked straight into the courtroom. For Harry, I had to queue outside, hoping that a seat would become available before proceedings ended for the day. Just before 4pm yesterday, one did.

Not that I expected to be sitting anywhere near the prince. On Monday morning, I made a last-second dash to the Rolls Building because it seemed bonkers to be watching live footage of the building's main entrance when I could watch those doors, and Prince Harry walk through them, with my own eyes (the Gazette office is only a 60-second sprint away).

I waited 40 minutes. At 10.16am Prince Harry's barrister, David Sherborne, arrived. As the clock reached 10.30am, the hearing was about to begin, but there was still no sign of the prince. I quickly made my way through security and headed up to the second floor.

No space for me in court 15, but I was allowed to sit in the 'overspill' court next door and watch the proceedings on telly.

Grabbing a seat behind two rows of journalists, I turned to the screen where counsel were discussing the timetable: Harry would be in court on Tuesday.

Fast forward to the following day, when I rocked up to court 15 shortly before 9.30am, wishing I had got to court earlier as I stood at the back of a 30-deep queue of journalists. Opposite the press queue, members of the public queued 30-deep, too.

No room in court 15 by the time I reached the front, but I managed to get into the overspill court.

At 10.30am, Prince Harry became the first senior royal since the 19th century to enter the witness box. He swore by Almighty God to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Sherborne explained protocol. Harry was 'Your Royal Highness' on first mention, 'Prince Harry' after that.

When the prince left the courtroom for lunch at 1pm, he was greeted with shouts of 'Good luck Harry', 'Give our love to Doria [Harry's mother-in-law]' and 'We love you' from members of the public in the waiting area. He smiled.

The prince returned to court at 2pm. I returned later in the afternoon. With no spare seats in the overspill court, I figured I'd try my luck in getting into the main arena.

After a brief wait, a seat became available just before 4pm. It had clearly been a long day for some - one member of the public looked as if she was asleep.

The day's proceedings ended at 4.30pm. As is usual with witnesses, Mr Justice Fancourt told the prince not to discuss his evidence with anyone overnight.

As I walked out of the building, the pavements were crammed with photographers and camera crews on standby, and members of the public ready to snap the prince on their phones.

One member of the public nearly missed the big moment as she began arguing with a Metropolitan Police officer about what was stopping her from standing on the road. 'The Highways Act', she was told. Plot twist: she wasn't a Harry fan, I discovered, when she heckled as his car drove past. Another passer-by had a loud go at her, telling her not to believe everything she reads in the papers.

Prince Harry's departure marked the end of a surreal and chaotic day, though one member of court staff was unfazed by it all: 'To us he's just another member of the public.'