Prince Harry Just Gave His Witness Statement on the Daily Mirror Case & the Phone Hacking Was More Invasive Than We Expected

Maggie Clancy
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In a dramatic turn of events, Prince Harry made his way to London’s High Court on Tuesday, June 6, as he took a stand against the publisher of the Daily Mirror. The prince accused the tabloid of employing unlawful methods to fabricate stories about him (and, by extension, Meghan Markle) for an extended period. Given Harry and Meghan’s recent run-in with the paparazzi, this might not be surprising to many. Still, the details of how the tabloids have allegedly gathered their intel on the royals are nothing short of horrifying.

As the 38-year-old prince testified, his written witness statement, spanning a whopping 55 pages, was unveiled to the public. In this extensive document, Harry poured his heart out, referencing his late mother, Princess Diana, his brother, Prince William, and even his past love interests like Caroline Flack, Chelsy Davy, and Natalie Pinkham, per People.

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“It is no secret that I have had, and continue to have, a very difficult relationship with the tabloid press in the UK,” he wrote, acknowledging his tumultuous relationship with the press. “In my experience as a member of the Royal Family, each of us gets cast into a specific role by the tabloid press. You start off as a blank canvas while they work out what kind of person you are and what kind of problems and temptations you might have. They then start to edge you towards playing the role or roles that suit them best and which sells as many newspapers as possible, especially if you are the ‘spare’ to the ‘heir.’ You’re then either the ‘playboy prince,’ the ‘failure,’ the ‘drop out’ or, in my case, the ‘thicko,’ the ‘cheat,’ the ‘underage drinker,’ ‘irresponsible drug taker,’ the list goes on.”

Harry, who married Meghan Markle in 2018, noted that the British media would “report on my successes in life” but “took greater pleasure in knocking me down” over the years, including in his romantic relationships. He shared the challenges he faced while dating Chelsey Davy due to constant intrusion from journalists and photographers, ultimately leading Davy to decide that a royal life was not for her, deeply affecting Harry.

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“Chelsy Davy, a former girlfriend of mine. We met in about early 2004 and were in a relationship which continued, on and off, until around mid-2010. Our relationship was long distance for the majority of the time we were together, with Chelsy and I often living in different countries, so we relied on communicating by phone a lot,” he wrote. “We, naturally, spoke about all types of personal matters, including all aspects of our relationship and this was often through voicemail. As my girlfriend, I trusted Chelsy with the most private of information and vice versa.”

Harry alleged that while traveling with Davy, they were tracked via voicemail by journalists and paparazzi. “Ultimately, these factors led her to make the decision that a Royal life was not for her, which was incredibly upsetting for me at the time,” he wrote.

“I genuinely feel that in every relationship that I’ve ever had — be that with friends, girlfriends, with family or with the army, there’s always been a third party involved, namely the tabloid press,” he said in the witness statement. “Having seen me grow up from a baby (being born into this ‘contractual relationship’ without any choice) and scrutinized my every move, the tabloids have known the challenges and mental health struggles that I have had to deal with throughout my childhood and adult life and for them to then play on that and use it to their own advantage, I think is, well, criminal,” he added.

Prince Harry also delved into his struggle with trust within his inner circle, expressing concern over leaks regarding his personal relationships. He disclosed the frequent exchange of voicemails with Prince William, containing highly private and sensitive information about personal matters, education, careers, and social arrangements. Harry acknowledged that his brother had also fallen victim to phone hacking and unlawful information gathering.

The Mirror Group, which owns Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, The Sunday People, Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star, Daily Star Sunday, as well as the Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail and the magazine OK!, vehemently denied Prince Harry’s allegations and claim that their journalists used legal reporting techniques like referring to public statements and documents, along with insider sources.

Given his mother’s tragic history with the tabloids, it is unlikely Prince Harry will be able to stop fighting this fight any time soon. Here’s hoping he and Meghan get some time out of the spotlight and are able to focus on philanthropy and their family.

Before you go, click here to see more of Meghan Markle & Prince Harry’s milestones since leaving the royal family. 

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