Eight articles that cast doubt on Harry’s case
PRINCE Harry was challenged to explain why the newspaper articles he complains about were the result of illegal activity.
He repeatedly answered he had not been ‘aware’ when shown that information in the articles had been published by other newspapers and even the BBC previously. In several cases, the stories had come from palace aides - and in one, he had given an official interview. Here are eight of the articles Harry complained about.
‘DIANA SO SAD ON HARRY’S BIG DAY’ Daily Mirror, Sept 16, 1996
HARRY’s complaint in his witness statement: ‘This article contains details of my mother coming to visit me at Ludgrove school on my 12th birthday.’
andrew Green KC, for Mirror Group Newspapers: ‘are you aware of the fact that some two days before the article was published, the Press association published an article stating your mother would be visiting you on your birthday?’ Harry: ‘I wasn’t aware of that.’
‘HARRY’S TIME AT THE BAR’ Daily Mirror, Sept 19, 2000
HARRY’s statement: ‘This article contains details of a lunch I had with friends at The Ifield pub in Chelsea to celebrate my 16th birthday.’
Mr Green: ‘The pub had a celebrity chef. He had two television shows. He was a great self-publicist and liked talking about his celebrity customers.’ Harry: ‘I was not aware.’ Mr Green: ‘Do you not think it is possible that he might have made the call that brought photographers to his gastro pub?’ Harry: ‘He’s a chef, and quite busy to be making calls.’
‘NO ETON TRIFLES FOR HARRY, 18’ Daily Mirror, Sept 16, 2002
HARRY’s statement: ‘ This article reported details of the way I celebrated my 18th birthday, which included a low-profile lunch with my father and brother at home.’
Mr Green: ‘you gave an interview to sam Greenhill [formerly] of the Press association.’ Harry: ‘Er, yes.’ Mr Green: ‘ The private information about which you complain had been revealed by you in an interview and then appeared in various sunday papers.’ Harry: ‘I see the similarities.’
‘ ‘MATURED’ HARRY IS A GODFATHER’ The People, April 20, 2003
HARRY’s statement: ‘This article contains details of me being asked to be godfather to the new baby of Tiggy, who was my childhood nanny.’
Mr Green: ‘The information about which you complain was in the public domain via the sunday Telegraph one week before it appeared in The
People, wasn’t it?’ Harry: ‘yes, I see the similarities.’
‘SNAP... HARRY BREAKS THUMB LIKE WILLIAM’ Daily Mirror, Nov 11, 2000
HARRY’s statement: ‘ This article reported that I had chipped a bone in my thumb.’
Mr Green: ‘Were you aware this was reported by multiple newspapers and the BBC on the previous day?’ Harry: ‘I wasn’t aware.’ Mr Green: ‘The Press association published an article the day before the Mirror. Have you expressed any concerns to the Press association?’ Harry; ‘No, I wasn’t aware of it.’ Mr Green: ‘Whose phone was hacked? Whose phone would have had this information?’ Harry: ‘The doctor’s?’ Mr Green: ‘are we not, Prince Harry, in the realms of total speculation?’
‘PRINCES TAKE TO THE HILLS FOR GALA’ Daily Mirror, July 17, 2000
HARRY’s statement: ‘This article reports that my brother and I would not be attending the gala pageant to celebrate the 100th birthday our great grandmother, the late Queen Mother.’
Mr Green: ‘an article in the Daily Mail two days before the Mirror article reported you and your brother were going to be missing. and Buckingham Palace confirmed it.’ Harry: ‘yes, in response to a question one might be suspicious about.’ Mr Green: ‘Two days before the Mirror article.’
‘HARRY TOOK DRUGS’ AND ‘COOL IT HARRY’ Sunday Mirror, Jan 13, 2002
HARRY’s statement: ‘These articles reported on allegations that I had been taking drugs with friends at the Rattlebone Inn.’
Mr Green: ‘We can see from your book spare that [Mark] Bolland, the [palace] spin doctor, had released information about you without your consent?’ Harry: ‘after this incident I never shared anything private with him.’ Mr Green: ‘The unpleasant reality is that private information was sometimes provided to the Press with the consent of the palace.’ Harry: ‘Certain individuals, yes.’
‘HARRY’S COCAINE ECSTASY AND GHB PARTIES’
Daily Mirror, Jan 14, 2002 HARRY’s statement: ‘ This article reports that my friends, or those I mixed with, were taking drugs.’
Mr Green: ‘are you aware [author] Jeff Edwards was the newspaper’s crime correspondent?’ Harry: ‘No I wasn’t.’ Mr Green: ‘Don’t you think it was likely he spoke to his police contacts?’ Harry: ‘I don’t know.’