Particle.news
Download on the App Store
33 ARTICLES
·
last mo.

Prince Harry’s Privacy Trial Concludes as Flirty Messages With Mail Journalist Enter Evidence

The case now turns on whether the claimants can prove unlawful reporting.

Prince Harry arrives at the High Court in London on Jan. 22, 2026, during the first week of a nine-week trial lawsuit against Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers, which Prince Harry and others are suing over allegations of privacy breaches dating back 30 years.
Prince Harry speaks at the International Association of Privacy Professionals Conference in Washington, DC, on March 31, 2026. Charlotte Griffiths, editor at large at The Mail on Sunday, attends a dinner by Elephant Family to celebrate International Women's Day at Gymkhana London on March 9, 2022.
Prince Harry arrives at the High Court in London on Jan. 22, 2026, during the first week of a 10-week trial involving Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers, which Prince Harry and others are suing over allegations of privacy breaches dating back 30 years.
Britain's Prince Harry attended the start of the trial at the High Court in London in January

Overview

  • The 11‑week High Court trial, which concluded Tuesday, now awaits a written ruling from Mr Justice Nicklin.
  • Newly disclosed Facebook messages from December 2011 to January 2012 show Harry calling Mail on Sunday journalist Charlotte Griffiths “sugar,” signing off “mwah,” and referring to “movie snuggles.”
  • The exchanges appear to conflict with Harry’s January testimony that he met Griffiths once and cut contact after learning she was a journalist, while call data cited in court places them in touch in June 2012.
  • Mr Justice Nicklin warned that forcing journalists to prove their sources would reverse the burden of proof and said it is for the claimants to demonstrate wrongdoing.
  • Associated Newspapers denies unlawful practices and argues stories came from ordinary reporting and confidential sources, as the multi‑claimant suit led by figures including Sir Elton John now awaits judgment that could take months.