'Terrified' Prince Harry Reportedly Left Shaken By 'Utter Terror' As Stalker Breaches High Court Security

Prince Harry was reportedly left 'terrified' after a known stalker managed to sit just metres behind him during a landmark hearing at the High Court.

The chilling security breach occurred as the Duke of Sussex, 41, attended the opening days of his high-profile privacy trial against the publishers of the Daily Mail.

Discovered by his private security detail, the presence of the fixated individual, who had allegedly followed Harry as far as Nigeria, has crystallised the Duke's deepest fears regarding his safety on British soil and reignited his fierce legal battle for state-funded protection.

A Shadow in the Gallery: The High Court Security Breach

Insiders described the incident as a moment of 'utter terror' for the Prince, crystallising the anxieties that have defined his life since stepping back from royal duties in 2020.

Because the High Court is a public building, Harry's private security team found themselves in a legal grey area. Without the powers of law enforcement, they could do little more than monitor the woman and alert court officials.

'Harry's security team was effectively powerless in that moment,' a source close to the Duke revealed. 'They are not law enforcement, and unless a crime is being committed, there is very little they can do beyond alerting court staff.'

The woman in question reportedly has a history of high-risk fixation, having allegedly followed Harry to Nigeria and breached a secure zone at a London hotel during the WellChild Awards last September.

For Harry, the discovery was a visceral reminder of his vulnerability. 'Harry lives with a constant level of anxiety about his personal safety, especially when he is in Britain,' the insider added.

'Discovering just how close she had been left him genuinely shaken and reinforced his fear that, without full protection, he is far more exposed than he should be.'

The Cost of Privacy: Harry's Emotional Stand

The security scare coincided with an emotionally charged appearance on the witness stand, where Harry spent more than two hours facing cross-examination. At one point, the Duke appeared to be on the verge of tears as he addressed the toll that press intrusion has taken on his family.

'They continue to come after me,' he told the court, his voice cracking. 'They have made my wife's life an absolute misery, my lord.'

The trial, which is expected to last nine weeks, sees Harry and other high-profile figures, including Sir Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, alleging that ANL used private investigators to plant listening devices and hack phones.

Harry vehemently denied claims that he had a 'leaky' social circle or that he used a Facebook pseudonym to contact journalists. Instead, he painted a picture of a life spent under 'an endless pursuit' by a media 'obsessed' with his every move.

The breach has now been factored into an ongoing Home Office review of Harry's security threat level, which was launched in December 2025. Neil Basu, the former head of UK counter-terrorism, noted that the stalker's repeated appearances are 'incredibly anxiety-inducing' and suggested that Harry's risk level remains as high as it was during his time as a working royal.

Shortly after the hearing, Harry returned to the United States to join Meghan Markle, 44, at the Sundance Film Festival for the premiere of Cookie Queens, a documentary the couple executive produced.

While they smiled for the cameras in Utah, the shadow of the London courtroom remains. As Harry himself stated in his witness evidence: 'I cannot put my wife in danger like that... I am reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm's way.'