Prince Harry Shares 3-Word Response When Asked About First Day of Tabloid Trial

Prince Harry was back in the U.K. this week for what could be the final legal step in his lengthy battle against a major British publisher.

The trial, in which the Duke of Sussex and other high-profile claimants are suing Associated Newspapers over allegations of illegal information gathering, kicked off on Monday, Jan. 19, at London’s High Court. The media group, which publishes the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday and Mail Online, has “vigorously denied” the claims, according to the BBC.

Cameras were waiting for Harry, 41, as he left court on Monday, and he gave a three-word response when asked how the first day of proceedings had gone.

 “Good, very good,” he said.

Ahead of the trial, the prince’s spokesperson told PEOPLE that Harry was “feeling confident and ready” for the next stage of his lawsuit. The trial is expected to last for nine weeks.

Other high-profile claimants in the Associated Newspapers case include Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley and Jude Law‘s ex-wife, Sadie Frost.

The claimants’ lawyer, David Sherborne, said in a written submission that Prince Harry’s claims are based on 14 articles published between 2001 and 2013, which had a “profoundly distressing effect” on the Duke of Sussex and made him “paranoid beyond belief.”

According to a draft trial timetable made public last week, Prince Harry is expected to take the stand to present evidence on Thursday, Jan. 22. It will be the second time Prince Harry has given evidence in a court case in the past three years — he became the first senior British royal to give evidence in 130 years, in a 2023 phone-hacking case against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).

The Duke of Sussex won “substantial” damages from the Mirror Group following his lengthy 2023 trial and is hoping for a similar outcome in this case, vowing to see through his latest fight for privacy against the invasive U.K. media.

At the time, Sherborne read a statement on his behalf, which said, “Our mission continues. I believe in the positive change it will bring for all of us. It is the very reason why I started this, and why I will continue to see it through to the end.”

Prince Harry may soon get good news in another major battle: his request to reinstate his taxpayer-funded security detail when he and his family visit the U.K.

Insiders told PEOPLE earlier this month that they were seeing “positive” indicators from the government. They said at the time that they were cautiously optimistic that the decision not to grant Harry security would be reversed and his cover would be upgraded.

It’s thought that this could open the door for Harry, wife Meghan Markle, 44, and their children —Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4 — to visit the U.K. more often. The younger child of King Charles has repeatedly said that, without security cover, he didn’t feel safe bringing his family back to his home country.

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No royal family reunions are expected during this trip, however.

King Charles attended a reception at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland as Harry stepped out in London on Monday, and there has been no indication that the father and son — who took a major step last September with their first in-person meeting in 18 months — will see each other while Harry is in the U.K.

Prince William and Kate Middleton are also in Scotland this week for a day of engagements. They will meet with Great Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic curling teams ahead of the upcoming Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games, as well as visit Radical Weavers, a working handweaving studio and therapeutic charity, on Jan. 20.