The Duke of Sussex exchanged intimate messages with a young female journalist who referred to him as “Mr Mischief”, his privacy case has heard.
Harry told the High Court he did not have friendships with journalists but a series of alleged Facebook exchanges with Charlotte Griffiths were made public on Tuesday on the final day of his trial.
They appear to show the Mail on Sunday reporter calling the prince “Mr Mischief” and “H Bomb” and referring to their “fun weekend of naughtiness”. Harry appeared to call the journalist “sugar” and “Griff” and wrote: “Miss our movie snuggles!!”
The prince, giving evidence in January, said: “I am not friends with any of these journalists.” He insisted that none of his close circle would talk to the media.
He claimed that as a result, a series of stories published in the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday could only have come from unlawful information gathering such as phone hacking and bugging.
Harry, 41, and Sir Elton John, 78, and five other high-profile figures are bringing claims for unlawful information gathering, including phone hacking, bugging and “blagging” calls against Associated Newspapers. The publisher and its journalists deny wrongdoing.
Griffiths said she joined Harry at a weekend country house party in 2011 hosted by Arthur Landon, a film producer who is one of the prince’s oldest friends. The messages also refer to “Skippy”, the nickname of Tom Inskip, who was one of Harry’s closest friends.
The Facebook exchanges disclosed by Griffiths to the court appear to show Harry initiating contact on December 4, 2011.
The alleged messages followed Harry’s separation from Chelsy Davy, his first serious girlfriend.
Griffiths was a student at Leeds University at the same time as Davy, 40. The journalist told the court she continued to “socialise in similar high society circles ever since”, including attending polo events and nightclubs like Boujis in west London, which were popular with Harry and his friends.
Griffiths joined the Mail on Sunday in 2008, was diary editor from 2013 to 2020 and is now editor-at- large.
Harry was reported to have been on an Army helicopter pilot training exercise at RAF St Mawgan, Cornwall, in January 2012.
Griffiths said her friendship with Harry continued and in June 2012 she was invited to join an all-night party with the prince before he attended a military parade. Griffiths was questioned about a telephone call to Harry at 2.50am and three text message exchanges.
Griffiths told the court she went to a club with Landon, who invited her back to his home for an “after party”.
“Arthur hadn’t made it home by the time that I arrived but told me Prince Harry was staying at the flat and that the party had already started under Prince Harry’s watch,” she said in a written witness statement.
Griffiths said that, at another weekend party at Landon’s home in late 2012, Prince William told fellow guests that Kate was pregnant with Prince George four days before the news was officially announced.
“William arrived solo on the Friday and explained that Kate was suffering with morning sickness,” she said. “The fact that she was pregnant with their first child would have been big news and St James’ Palace only confirmed it the following Monday because she had to be admitted to hospital.”
Harry told the High Court: “The first time I met Ms Griffiths was actually at a friend’s weekend and I had no idea that she was a journalist at that time.”
Asked if Griffiths socialised with his friends, Harry replied: “Not as far as I’m aware. I met her once at a weekend, and then the next day, after I’d left, after the weekend had finished, I found out who she was.
“I had words with my friend and that was that.”
Harry told the court: “The only time I’ve met her was at that weekend with Mr Landon and, as I said, I had no idea who she was. I don’t — was she working for the Daily Mail at that time. When I found out, I cut contact with her.
He continued: “My social circles were not ‘leaky’, I want to make that absolutely clear, and any time that I was suspicious… then I would have to cut communication with those people.”
Harry told the court he did not use the Facebook identity “Mr Mischief”. Griffiths said in her evidence: “I have never said that he used the name Mr Mischief.”
Antony White KC, representing Associated Newspapers, told the court on Tuesday that he was responsible for mistakenly claiming that “Mr Mischief” was the name Harry used for himself, rather than the name Griffiths adopted for the prince.
Mr Justice Nicklin will give his judgment at a later date.