Prince Harry hacking trial: The 33 stories at the centre of his case

Harry is accusing Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) of using methods such as phone hacking, so-called “blagging”, and using private investigators for unlawful activities

Harriet Sinclair
·Deputy News Editor
Updated ·6-min read
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry leaves the Royal Courts Of Justice in London, Thursday, March 30, 2023. The Duke of Sussex is scheduled to testify in the High Court after his lawyer presents opening statements Monday, June 5, 2023 in his case alleging phone hacking. It’s the first of Harry’s several legal cases against the media to go to trial and one of three alleging tabloid publishers unlawfully snooped on him. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
Prince Harry leaves the Royal Courts Of Justice in London, on March 30, 2023. The Duke of Sussex is scheduled to testify in the High Court this week. (AP)

Prince Harry is set to give evidence in court today in the phone-hacking trial that has seen him accuse the publisher of the Daily Mirror of obtaining information for stories via unlawful means.

Harry is accusing Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) of using methods such as phone hacking, so-called “blagging”, and using private investigators for unlawful activities. These techniques have been broadly terms unlawful information gathering (UIG)

Part of the evidence submitted by Harry's legal team includes 33 articles that they allege were obtained via phone hacking or other unlawful methods. The articles make up part of the 147 articles in claims brought by Harry along with three other claimants - former soap actress Nikki Sanderson, comedian Paul Whitehouse's ex-wife Fiona Wightman and actor Michael Turner.

Read more: Prince Harry trial - live: Phone hacking fuelled conflict with William, court hears

For many of the articles, Mirror Group Newspapers has denied they were sourced by unlawful means and put forward alternative scenarios. For others, MGN has "not admitted" they were via UIG, meaning Harry has to prove that they were.

Yahoo News UK looks at the articles that Harry claims were obtained via UIG.

Chelsy Davy

Harry's ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy is the subject of several of the articles listed in Harry's claim. One such article, Harry is Chelsea Fan published by the Daily Mirror in 2004, revealed details of the prince's private life with his new girlfriend. However, MGN denied that any UIG had taken place, claiming the information used in the story came "from a prior report in the Mail on Sunday, two confidential sources and a South African photographer".

FILE - In this Sunday, April 8, 2007 file photo, Britain's Prince Harry, left, and Chelsy Davy chat while attending the Cricket World Cup Super 8s match between England and Australia at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in St. Peter's, Antigua. Long dismissed as a party boy, Prince Harry has transformed himself in the public eye and enjoys widespread popularity as he prepares to marry Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018. Harry has become a forceful advocate for veterans and won admiration by speaking openly about his struggle with the pain caused by the early death of his mother, Princess Diana.(AP Photo/Andres Leighton, file)
The relationship between Prince Harry, left, and Chelsy Davy (pictured in 2007) was the subject of a number of articles included in Harry's case.(AP)

Another two stories about Davy, published by the Daily Mirror in 2005, claim she was intending to end her relationship with Harry, and that she had given him a "tongue-lashing down the phone" after he was allegedly seen flirting with another woman.

MGN said the stories had not been obtained using UIG, adding that the claim came following articles about Harry wearing a Nazi uniform to a party, at which he reportedly flirted with another attendee. MGN argued "the speculation in this article in relation to Ms Davy that 'It can’t be long before she drops him' was trivial and not information in respect of which the Claimant had a reasonable expectation of privacy".

In 2006, The People published an article titled Chel shocked, which claimed Davy had made a "string of phone calls" to Harry over claims he had visited a strip club. MGN said the information was not obtained via UIG but from two freelance journalists, adding: "That the claimant’s girlfriend would be unhappy about his widely-publicised visit to a strip club, and being in South Africa, would express that unhappiness by telephone, was obvious".

Chelsy Davy arrives for the wedding ceremony of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in Windsor, near London, England, Saturday, May 19, 2018. (Chris Jackson/pool photo via AP)
Chelsy Davy, pictured at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, was the focus on a number of articles included in Harry's case. (AP)

In one article (Davy stated, The People, 16 September 2007), MGN admitted that information published about Harry and Davy arguing was private, but denied that it had been obtained using UIG.

Harry takes drugs

Some of the stories included in Prince Harry's claim focus on his use of illegal drugs. In 2022, The Mirror printed an article titled Harry's cocaine, ecstasy and GHB parties, in which it claimed he smoked cannabis and spent time with people who took harder drugs.

In another two articles by The Mirror, Harry took drugs and Cool it Harry, printed in 2002, the publisher denied using UIG to obtain information, claiming the information came from articles first printed in News of the World and then corroborated by the Palace. "A senior member of the Royal Family does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in taking illegal drugs, particularly when he did so at a public house in combination with illegally drinking alcohol underage," the publisher said.

Newspapers reporting on Prince Harry's use of drugs
A number of newspapers reported on Prince Harry's use of drugs at the time.

MGN said there was no evidence of voicemail interception, and pointed out that Prince Charles had cooperated with News of the World, which first published details the story.

"Prince Charles never hesitated. He ordered his aide to cooperate with the newspaper to ensure that only accurate information was reported about his son," MGN said.

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - JUNE 26: Prince Harry is pictured during his visit to 'Cracolandia', an extremely deprived area of Sao Paulo with a high concentration of crack addicts on June 26, 2014 in Sao Paulo Brazil. Crack in Sao Paulo costs just 80 UK pence for a rock of the drug. Prince Harry is on a four day tour of Brazil that will be followed by two days in Chile. (Photo by Dan Charity - Pool/Getty Images)
Prince Harry, pictured on his four-day tour of Brazil, included articles on his alleged drug use as a younger man in his case against MGN. (Getty Images)

"The Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales, had been the subject of a stream of ill-informed, inaccurate stories, not least because their advisers had counselled silence as the best option."

The 33 stories submitted as evidence for Prince Harry in his case against MGN are as follows:

Diana so sad on Harry's big day, Daily Mirror, 16 September 1996

Princes take to the hills for gala, Daily Mirror, 17 July 2000

3am Harry's time at the bar, Daily Mirror, 19 September 2000

Snap... Harry breaks thumb like Wiilliam: exclusive, Daily Mirror, 11 November 2000

Rugger off Harry, Sunday Mirror, 11 November 2001

Harry took drugs and Cool it Harry, Sunday Mirror, 13 January 2002

Harry's cocaine, ecstasy and GHB parties, The Mirror, 14 January 2022

Harry's sick with kissing disease, Daily Mirror, 29 March 2002

No Eton trifles for Harry, 18, Daily Mirror, 16 September 2002

Matured Harry is a godfather, The People, 20 April 2003

Harry to lead cadet's march, Daily Mirror, 29 April 2003

Harry is ready to quit Oz, Daily Mirror, 27 September 2003

Beach bum Harry, Daily Mirror, 16 December 2003

Wills... seeing Burrell is only way to stop him selling more Diana secrets. Harry.. No... Burrell's a... The People, 28 December 2003

Harry is a Chelsy fan, Daily Mirror, 29 November 2004

When Harry met Daddy... the biggest danger to wildlife in Africa, Daily Mirror, 13 December 2004

Harry's girl 'to dump him', Daily Mirror, 15 January 2005

Chelsy is not happy, Daily Mirror, 15 January 2005

You did what!, Sunday Mirror, 6 February 2005

Who dares Windsors, Daily Mirror, 4 March 2005

Chelsy's gap eiir, The People, 24 April 2005

Harry carry!, The People, 15 May 2005

Chel shocked, The People, 9 April 2006

Davy stated, The People, 16 September 2007

Hooray Harry's dumped, Sunday Mirror, 11 November 2007

Down in the dumped, Daily Mirror, 12 November 2007

Er, OK if I drop you off here?, Sunday Mirror, 2 December 2007

Harry fear as mobile is swiped, Daily Mirror, 26 July 2008

Soldier Harry's Taliban, The People, 28 September 2008

He just loves boozing & army, she is fed up & is heading home, Sunday Mirror, 25 January 2009

3am: What a way to Harry on, Daily Mirror, 26 March 2009

Harry's date with Gladiators star, The People, 19 April 2009

Chelsy's new fella, The People, 26 April 2009

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