Prince Harry breaks down after admitting ‘I don’t know’ 18 times in three hours as he stumbles in High Court grilling
PRINCE Harry today broke down in court after admitting “I don’t know” 18 times in less than three hours as he stumbled through hours of questioning over his own bombshell case.
The Duke of Sussex admitted “it’s a lot” after he spent seven hours in total being quizzed in his phone hacking trial by Mirror Group Newspaper’s lawyer over details in a string of articles.
Harry alleges about 140 articles published between 1996 and 2010 contained information gathered using unlawful methods, and 33 of these were poured through over the last two days.
Harry had been instrumental in bringing the case to court as he sues MGN publisher, attempting to prove that reporters for the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People had been hacking phones.
But he struggled to recall reading numerous articles at the time and when asked if he had any evidence to back his claims said “no, that’s why we’re here”.
‘I DON’T REMEMBER’
Prince Harry called on the Mirror’s lawyer Andrew Green KC to ask his legal team instead of him four times during this morning’s session.
And he didn’t know the answers to Mr Green’s questions a total of 18 times in just three hours.
Some nine times he admitted “I don’t remember”.
And the combative prince told the lawyer “I’ll take your word for it” a number of times during the grilling.
When Mr Green asked whether he had any call data to back his claims, Prince Harry said: “I wouldn’t know, my legal team would know that.”
Mr Green asked: “When did you first learn there was relevant call data?”
He replied: “I can’t remember.”
And when asked: “Do you claim you were consistently hacked by MGN between 1996 and 2010?”
Prince Harry said: “Consistently? I wouldn’t know.”
Prince Harry’s voice cracked with emotion as he finished a gruelling session of questioning, including on a 2006 visit to a strip club, at the High Court today.
Harry appeared to choke back tears after he was asked by his barrister, David Sherborne, how he had found the experience of giving evidence in the witness box.
The Royal paused as he grew emotional before replying simply: “It’s a lot.”
The duke was earlier again accused of being in the “realm of total speculation” after he admitted to the Mirror’s lawyer Andrew Green KC he “isn’t sure” his phone was hacked.
STRIP CLUB
Prince Harry was also quizzed on a trip to the strip club Spearmint Rhino, which featured in a 2006 article called Prince of Lapland.
It told how Harry was ticked off by his ex girlfriend Chelsy Davy for enjoying a dance with a “statuesque blonde” who sat in his lap.
Mr Green asked Prince Harry whether there was “any evidence or was it pure speculation” that this story came from phone hacking. He repeatedly denied speculating.
Prince Harry, 38, was questioned over his accusations the Mirror group listened to voicemails to gain insight into arguments with Chelsy.
In his witness statement, the Duke of Sussex said another story told how he was facing a “make or break” holiday with Ms Davy in Mozambique following his night out.
Harry said he was “deeply concerned” that his trip would be publicised in advance by newspapers.
Mr Green took Harry to a further article that appeared in The People in September 2007 which detailed three rows he and Ms Davy had before she moved to Leeds, West Yorks.
Harry said: “The whole article itself was suspicious.
“I never discussed with the Palace any details about my relationship with my girlfriend.
“Attributing such information to a Palace source is incredibly suspicious.”
Mr Green said: “We are in the land of total speculation that this is voicemail interception.”
Harry replied: “Not at all. I entirely disagree.”
A combative duke fought back at Mr Green’s line of questioning, regularly quipping “I’ll take your word for it”.
And the KC had to again warn Prince Harry he was the one asking questions, after first warning him yesterday.
When Prince Harry asked “are you suggesting while I was in the army everything was available to write about”, the lawyer replied: “Can I just repeat what I said yesterday.
“This isn’t about you asking me questions this is me asking you questions.”
SPECULATION
Mr Green pointed to a 2007 story ‘ER, ok if I drop you off here?’ where Prince Harry was photographed dropping his ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy off outside the gates of Kensington Palace.
When Mr Green asks if he’s speculating whether a photographer knew where to stand because of voicemails accessed through phone hacking, Prince Harry even admits “maybe I am”.
He again said: “This to me was incredibly suspicious. I was dropping her off as close to Kensington High Street without being spotted by members of the public.
“To know a photographer was there just waiting was highly suspicious.”
When probed on an article about becoming a godfather for his former nanny Tiggy’s brother’s son, Harry said: “It’s not particularly enjoyable to have to go through this process all over again.”
Another article ‘Harry to lead cadet’s march’ was revealed the day before by the Press Association after the information was put into the public domain by St James’s Palace, Mr Green told the court.
Prince Harry admitted he had not been aware of the PA story and still maintained the article was “suspicious” due to the “illegal activity that was happening behind that”.
‘STUPID DECISION’
Elsewhere, Prince Harry said he felt like his relationship with then-girlfriend Chelsy was “doomed” during the 2007 coverage of their relationship.
Harry revealed he was “immature” and made a “stupid decision” after it was reported he flirted with a brunette at a party in 2005.
He also said he promised Chelsy in 2006 he was not given a lap dance at the Spearmint Rhino club, the court heard.
And he admitted calling his mother’s former butler, Paul Burrell, a “two faced s***” in 2003.
He said: “I also would have used the phrase ‘two-face s***’, as is reported.”
In court he added: “That is the terminology I would use. I don’t specifically remember leaving a voicemail saying that because of the time that’s passed.”
The prince had “very strong feelings” about how indiscreet Mr Burrell was after Princess Diana’s death, according to his witness statement.
Prince Harry gave evidence yesterday after flying in from LA for the trial as part of the action against the Mirror Group papers.
He only left the US on Sunday night after marking his daughter Lilibet’s second birthday.
His missing the first day sparked Justice Fancourt to say he was surprised Harry was not in court on stand-by for the witness box.
Yesterday Harry became the first royal questioned in a UK courtroom for 130 years.
MGN has apologised unreservedly to Prince Harry for unlawfully gathering information about him but denies phone hacking.