Prince Harry case: Duke of Sussex claims phone hacking was on an 'industrial scale' at Mirror titles

The Duke of Sussex said he was “extremely worried” he was going to be expelled from Eton following press reports that he was using drugs.

Andrew Green’s questioning turned to a Sunday Mirror article published in January 2002, titled: “Harry took drugs”.

The barrister said it was actually the now-defunct News Of The World newspaper that “broke the story” about the duke smoking cannabis. “The untrue story, yes,” Harry added.

Mr Green said the News Of The World had contacted the duke’s father’s office about the story, and “the palace” had “cooperated” with the coverage via “spin doctor” Mark Bolland.

Harry claimed the News Of The World story was a “red rag to a bull” for rival newspapers. "The Sunday Mirror was on the back foot and therefore did everything they could,” he said.

“What’s notable to me in this article when reading it now are the quotes attributed to my father, including that he was ‘worried sick’ and ‘hugely relieved’ when I told him I had only used cannabis.

“My father didn’t make any direct comment to the press, a statement was made by the palace in response to the News Of The World story. This was handled by a tight, small team internally, so it is not clear to me where the defendant’s journalists could possibly have obtained these quotes from.

“This article, along with the News Of The World coverage, had a huge impact on my life. Eton had a zero drugs policy in place, and I was extremely worried I was going to be expelled.”

The Duke of Sussex also said he was singled out by his peers after an article in the Sunday Mirror in November 2001, which covered an injury the duke had received while playing polo - and medical advice that he should stop playing rugby.

“I wasn’t reading these stories, but others at school were and I was treated differently as a result. This happened at school and later when I was at Sandhurst... I was often singled out for being a ‘sick note’ or a ‘pussy’ because articles like this made routine injuries seem like such a big deal.”

Prince Harry's cross-examination by an MGN lawyer has now resumed, after the court briefly broke for lunch.

Earlier, Andrew Green KC had questioned the Duke of Sussex about other media outlets which had covered the same stories.

On an article from the Daily Mirror in November 2000 - titled 'Snap: Harry breaks thumb like William,' Mr Green asked if he was aware information about his thumb injury had been reported by the PA news agency the day before, or if he had expressed any concerns to them.

Harry said he had not, adding that he was “not aware” of it. He said he had not expressed concerns to a number of other media outlets that reported the same story at the time, because illegal information-gathering was “not systemic” at those titles.

The duke also said he had not expressed any concerns about a BBC article, adding: “As far as I know, the BBC hasn’t been brought into question with regard to unlawful information-gathering.”

Harry said he believed information in the Mirror article was obtained through unlawful means - including a paragraph stating that doctors had told him he could not play football for a few weeks.

Asked whose phone he believes was hacked to find out the information, he said: “The doctor’s? I am not sure.”

Mr Green asked Harry whether he was "in the realms of total speculation”, to which he replied: “No, I do not believe so.”

In his earlier witness statement, Prince Harry criticised the British press and government, saying both were at "rock bottom", with the government doing little to quash any rule-breaking by the media.

Hacked Off, a campaign group established in 2011 in response to phone-hacking revelations - which fights for a free and accountable press for the public - praised the prince's "determination and courage".

“Every new allegation heaps further embarrassment on the government, which argued in 2018 that the second part of the Leveson Inquiry into press illegality should be cancelled, largely on the basis that - they argued - the facts of the hacking scandal were now known," a spokesperson said.

“In fact, what we knew in 2018 was just the tip of the iceberg. The determination and courage of Prince Harry and other claimants and their legal teams is the only reason that we have learned so much more over the last five years.

"Prince Harry is right to observe that the British press is effectively unaccountable," they continued. "Until the government introduces the Leveson system of independent press regulation complete with a compulsory system of arbitration to resolve cases of alleged illegality on a low-cost basis, they will continue to fail all of the victims of press abuse and deprive the public of access to justice.”

As MGN lawyer Andrew Green KC continues his cross-examination of Prince Harry, the pair have butted heads over where the information in the articles in question came from.

Harry was questioned by Mr Green about an article entitled “Harry is ready to quit Oz” published in the Mirror in September 2003.

Mr Green said it appeared that information about Harry “watching TV and videos” – which the duke said in his written statement was a bid to avoid camera crews – came from aide Mark Dyer.

“It doesn’t appear that way,” the duke said, later adding: “I don’t accept that Mr Dyer was freely speaking to the press.”

Mr Green said to Harry that “the information that you are alleging came from voicemail interception or unlawful information-gathering … in fact came from your minders”.

The Duke of Sussex also faced questions about an April 2003 Mirror article about Harry leading cadets at an Eton parade.

Mr Green put it to Harry that the information complained about in this three-line story came from a St James Palace press release.

The MGN barrister said the Press Association had reported about Harry leading the tattoo on the same day as the press release and had quoted an Eton spokesman.

The high court session has now wound up for the day - with Justice Fancourt telling Harry he must not discuss his evidence with anyone overnight.

Andrew Green KC concluded Tuesday's cross-examination by asking the duke about a 2005 article in the Sunday People, about then-girlfriend Chelsy Davy being on her gap year.

The duke appeared emotional as he responded to a question from Mr Green about when he first saw the article.

Harry’s voice seemed to crack as he replied: “I can’t remember when I first saw this article, but having to look at it now and see the level of detail… is extra distressing.”

The case will continue on Wednesday.

The court case centres on 147 articles published between 1996 and 2011 across MGN's publications, of which 33 sample articles are being considered in the trial.

In this 2003 article detailing an alleged row between Harry and brother William over their mother’s former butler Paul Burrell - who they claim sold Diana's secrets after her death - Harry claims the 'two-faced s***' quote was lifted directly from his voicemail.

The Duke of Sussex did not answer questions from reporters as he left the Rolls Building after giving evidence on Tuesday.

Reporters at the scene say Harry smiled and gave a little wave to some people waiting outside as he exited at 4.53pm, before getting into a Range Rover.

Another of the articles produced as evidence before the court, dated January 2009.

Harry earlier told the court his relationship with former girlfriend Chelsy Davy had felt "doomed" from the start in a flurry of intense tabloid coverage.

Harry has left the Rolls Building in Central London for the day, after intense questioning by a lawyer for the Mirror Group Newspapers, in his phone hacking trial against them.

He's expected to return to court on Wednesday morning, as the trial continues.

The court heard earlier on Tuesday that Harry had been singled out as a “pussy” by his peers following press reports of his injuries during his time at school and Sandhurst.

Here is one of the articles in question: