Prince Harry court case live: I launched hacking claim to stop abuse of Meghan
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The Duke of Sussex has revealed that he was motivated to sue the tabloid newspapers over phone hacking in order to protect his wife.
Prince Harry, 38, told the High Court he had been thinking about how he could defend Meghan without involving the Royal family’s own legal team.
“I think it was a discussion on how to somehow find a way to stop the abuse, intrusion and hate that was directed towards me and my wife,” he said.
“And to see if there was any way to find a different course of action without relying on the institution’s lawyers.”
The Duke is suing Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) over 148 articles he alleges came from illegal activity, including phone hacking.
As he took to the witness stand for a second consecutive day, it emerged that he had been introduced to his barrister, David Sherborne, by Sir Elton John.
The Duke has suggested that it was Mr Sherborne’s idea to pursue legal action.
Many of the stories the Duke has complained about concern Chelsy Davy, his former girlfriend, who he met in 2004.
He blamed the media for Ms Davy’s eventual decision that “a royal life was not for her” and has been determined to ensure the same would not happen with Meghan.
Andrew Green KC, for the Mirror, asked if he had initially wanted to bring a claim against News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, before deciding to sue the Mirror.
“No, I believe I filed the claims at pretty much the same time.” the Duke replied, adding that there was “industrial-scale destruction of evidence on all sides”.
Asked where he had got the idea of “industrial-scale destruction” he replied: “From my legal team.”
Mr Green suggested that the Duke had failed to identify a single story in a Mirror Group newspaper that had been obtained via phone hacking.
“That’s a question for my legal team…but I believe phone hacking started at Mirror Group,” Harry replied.
He admitted he had not known there was no call data to back up his claim.
Asked if he believed he was being hacked on a daily basis he replied: “I simply don’t know.”
Mr Green pressed on, asking if he was aware of evidence that gave “any indication whatsoever” that he had been hacked.
“No, that is the.. reason why I am here,” he replied.
Follow the latest updates below.
03:50 PM
Goodbye from us
Thank you for following the Telegraph’s live coverage of the Duke of Sussex’s case against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) in the High Court on Wednesday.
We are ending live updates here after Harry left the witness box after almost eight hours of questioning since he was sworn in on Tuesday morning.
Our main talking points from the proceedings include:
I launched hacking claim to stop abuse of Meghan
Rejecting my phone hacking claims would be ‘injustice’
Harry accused of being in ‘realms of speculation’
Many thanks for following and please check the Telegraph website later for news and analysis of Harry’s second day in the witness box.
03:21 PM
Harry barrister accused of 'ambush'
At this point, Mr Green stands up to say the documents Mr Sherborne is using in his line of questioning of Ms Kerr are “an ambush” and “terribly unfair” as they were disclosed so late.
Mr Justice Fancourt tells Mr Sherborne to carry on, saying that he is “just building up to the question”.
03:20 PM
Journalist questioned over Chelsy flight
Mr Sherborne then reads to the court that Chelsy’s flight details were allegedly blagged by the freelancer in South Africa.
“I don’t know how he got this information, I’ve never seen this,” Ms Kerr tells the court.
The lawyer then reads a letter about the cost of “airline searches” for Chelsy Davy’s flights.
He reads out a letter from the freelancer and the court hears: “This time Chelsy did a strange thing…my guys say she was on standby until the last minute and then paid cash at the last minute at the airport. Maybe this is their way of trying to avoid detection.”
Mr Sherborne goes on to say that they have the booking reference, the flight details and even the seat numbers of her flight.
03:15 PM
Freelance journalist asked to get information on Harry and Chelsy
The court is now discussing two invoices addressed to a freelancer in South Africa - Mark Behr - one of which related to Chelsy Davy and Prince Harry and the other to Victoria Spencer.
“I knew he was a freelance journalist in South Africa,” Ms Kerr says.
She adds: “We were working on a story involving Prince Harry and Chelsy Davy and I called Mark to see if we could get information from his contacts in South Africa.”
“I would ask him to verify stories or to get information on a story,” she says.
“And you would have no idea how he obtained the information,” Mr Sherborne asks, to which Ms Kerr responds she did not.
03:11 PM
'I assumed obtaining phone numbers was totally lawful'
Asked whether she had ever asked for a phone bill while she was working at the Mirror, Ms Kerr says: “Absolutely not, I’ve never obtained a phone bill, nor seen one.”
“You didn’t think twice about whether it was lawful or appropriate to be obtaining people’s numbers,” Mr Sherborne says.
“I assumed it was totally lawful,” she replies.
“You never asked yourself whether it was appropriate to get ex-directory numbers of well-known people,” he asks, adding that the newspaper would also ask for the numbers of bombing victims’ families and whether she found this appropriate.
“So you could intrude on these people in their moments of grief,” the lawyer pressed.
Ms Kerr says it was standard practice to follow a story of that magnitude.
03:00 PM
'You seem to have no idea of what you were doing'
Mr Sherborne is questioning Ms Kerr on services used by the Mirror to find addresses of individuals the newspaper wanted to speak with for stories.
Responding to a question about the 7/7 bombings, Ms Kerr says it was her job to send reporters to an address.
He tells the court: “The truth is Ms Kerr - you are working in a senior position at a national newspaper, and you seem to have no idea of what you were doing at the time.”
“I did but this was a very long time ago and I would make these calls all the time,” she replies.
“You called up people, you didn’t know what they did, they magically produced a phone number and you never asked any questions,” Mr Sherborne says.
“Yes,” replies Ms Kerr, sighing. Mr Sherborne says again that these people would “misuse databases” to get more information about people.
02:41 PM
Reporter denies distancing herself from newsdesk
“You’re trying to distance yourself from the Mirror’s newsdesk at a time when we knew there was heavy use of phone hacking and private investigators,” Mr Sherborne says.
“That’s not true, I’m very proud of working on the newsdesk,” Ms Kerr responds.
02:39 PM
'You didn't want to come to court, did you?'
David Sherborne is now questioning Jane Kerr, and starts by saying “you didn’t want to come to court today, did you?”
She confirmed she did not, and Mr Sherborne makes clear that the court ordered her to.
Going through her witness statement, she confirms she became a royal reporter in 1996 and became royal correspondent for the Mirror from 1997 to 2005, having moved to the newsdesk as assistant news editor from 2006.
Mr Sherborne is asking why Ms Kerr did not mention the fact that she became assistant news editor at the Mirror in her witness statement.
“I don’t know, I just suppose I didn’t think it was important, it didn’t cross my mind to list all of my titles,” she replies.
02:33 PM
Harry leaves witness box
Jane Kerr has now taken Harry’s place in the witness box.
She is a former assistant news editor and royal editor of the Daily Mirror, and before that she was a royal reporter.
Articles that she wrote at this time, between 2000 and 2005, form part of the Duke’s case against MGN.
She was the Mirror’s royal correspondent from the time of Princess Diana’s death in 1997 to the wedding of Charles and Camilla in 2005.
Harry has remained in court for the time being.
02:32 PM
Argentinian police suggested to pay off paparazzi
Discussing an incident after a ranch in Argentina that Harry was in was swarmed with paparazzi, Mr Justice Fancourt asked what he remembers of it.
“The biggest memory that I have is the amount of paparazzi surrounding the ranch I was at…and the local police suggesting the only way to get rid of them was to pay them off,” Harry replies.
He adds: “If it was a security issue they would try to get me home as soon as possible…using some plan or diversion to make sure our cars weren’t chased or swarmed from these individuals.”
“Thank you very much, Prince Harry, that is the end of your evidence,” Mr Justice Fancourt says.
02:29 PM
'Unusual activity' on phone happened as soon as I had mobile
Finishing his examination, Mr Sherborne asks Harry: “This is a very public courtroom, with the media watching, how has that made you feel?”
“It’s a lot,” Harry said.
Mr Justice Fancourt then asks the Duke whether the “unusual activity” he identified on his phone that he takes as indicating unlawful activity
“From the moment I had a mobile phone, my lord,” Harry replies, clarifying that this began when he was a schoolboy at Eton. It never stopped
“I remember a lot of missed calls that lasted one second and I remember a lot of people asking me ‘did you get my voicemail’ and stuff like that but I do not remember how consistent it was,” Harry tells the court.
“But I remember when I was told that this was all hacking, it all made sense,” he adds.
“Did it stop in 2011?” The judge asks, to which Harry replies “not that I can remember”.
02:26 PM
Paparazzi stalked myself and William for over a decade
Now talking about a firm of photographers in relation to a story concerning the Duke and Caroline Flack, Harry tells the court he was suspicious of illegal activity.
“They stalked and harassed us for well over a decade - I say us because they picked on my brother also.
“They were a huge security issue, always turning up at places before I got there.
“I and my whole security team - as well as my brothers - suspected consistent unlawful activity,” he told the court.
He then goes on to tell the court about a chase with one of the photographers who he says was “endangering everybody around him” opposite the fire station on the King’s Road, adding that this was “not normal paparazzi behaviour.”
02:21 PM
Press have misled me my whole life, Duke claims
Now turning to a story published in the People, ‘Soldier Harry’s Taliban’ in September 2008, Mr Sherborne goes through some invoices the claimants allege show evidence of unlawful information gathering.
“Do you believe that you were speculating when you suggested that unlawful information gathering had been going on in that story?” Mr Sherborne asks.
“No, I do not, I’m still getting over the last one to be honest,” Harry says.
“For my whole life, the press have misled me, have covered up the wrongdoing, so to be sitting here in court, and knowing the defence has the evidence in front of them, and knowing Mr Green is suggesting that I’m speculating, I don’t really know what to say about that,” Harry tells the court.
02:14 PM
'Prolific hacker' had me in his sights
Questioning has now turned to the Sunday Mirror article ‘Hooray Harry’s dumped’ published in November 2007
Mr Sherborne refers to the Mirror’s ‘Project Harry’ invoice, mentioned previously, and asks Harry who Nick Buckley is.
“Mr Buckley is a prolific hacker, my name was on his PalmPilot,” Harry tells the court.
“Do you think you were speculating about the unlawful information gathering?” Mr Sherborne asks.
“No, I do not, I believe there was hard evidence,” Prince Harry responds.
“I assumed the defence had the same references,” he adds.
02:12 PM
Realms of speculation remark is 'destructive'
Now Mr Sherborne is discussing the ‘Harry carry!’ article published by the People in May 2005 and “speculation” that the story was obtained through unlawful information gathering.
Turning to Harry’s witness statement, he quotes a “contribution request payment to John Ross” in reference to this article.
“Do you believe this is in the realms of total speculation, as Mr Green said?” Mr Sherborne asks.
Harry responds: “No, I don’t and it’s even more destructive that it was used as a headline, I think this morning, against me.”
02:02 PM
Court resumes after lunch
Proceedings have restarted after lunch as Harry continues to be questioned by his lawyer David Sherborne.
01:22 PM
Overview of Duke's legal cases
Here is an overview of his current cases with a brief description to follow:
Challenge against the Home Office over UK security arrangements
Second case against Home Office in relation to UK security
Libel claim over Mail on Sunday article on Home Office legal battle
Allegations of unlawful information gathering at News Group Newspapers (NGN)
Unlawful information gathering allegations against ANL
Unlawful information gathering claim against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN)
01:19 PM
'I'm quite busy with litigations'
A moment we missed during cross-examination but the Duke of Sussex has admitted he is “quite busy” with litigations when pressed why he wasn’t suing other publications with similar stories to ones by MGN.
The remark came as Harry was questioned about the ‘Harry is a Chelsy fan’ published by the Daily Mirror in November 2004
When asked by Mr Green why he wasn’t suing others carrying a similar story to the Mirror’s, the Duke claimed there was no “industrial scale phone hacking” at the other publication, unlike the Mirror.
He then told the court: “I have no reason at this point to…I’m quite busy with other litigations at this point, my lord.”
The Duke is currently pursuing six separate legal cases in the High Court.
01:16 PM
Court breaks for lunch
Proceedings have adjourned for lunch. Harry’s questioning will resume at 2pm.
01:15 PM
Paul Burrell position changed after chat with William at Christmas
Mr Sherborne has returned to the article about Paul Burrell, which on Monday he claimed started the rift between Harry and William in 2003.
The Duke has been asked about claims he wanted to meet Mr Burrell, his mother’s former butler, to give him a “piece of your mind”.
An article published in the People in December 2003 reported Harry was against a meeting, where as William was in favour of one to stop Mr Burrell selling secrets about their mother.
The article, written on December 28, was after Christmas, Mr Sherborne points out, asking where Harry spent that Christmas.
“Most likely at Sandringham with my family,” he says.
“So two weeks later, you were still angry at Mr Burrell but you don’t want to meet him and your brother does, can you explain why your position might have changed?” Mr Sherborne asks.
“Presumably based on conversations that my brother and I had over Christmas,” Harry responds.
01:03 PM
Harry questioned by own lawyer
Harry is now being questioned by his own lawyer, David Sherborne KC, after the end of his cross-examination.
Mr Sherborne tells the court about when Mr Green said there’s no call data in relation to Harry, but the Duke responded that it was “an incredibly risky thing to do” to someone in his position.
Mr Sherborne then asks: “Do you mean that no one did hack your phone?”
“I believe they would have gone to extreme lengths to cover their tracks,” Harry responds.
Then turning to the 33 articles in question, Harry says “thank you” when Mr Sherborne says he won’t take him back through all of them.
12:56 PM
I may have been hacked every day over 15 years
Harry tells the court he filed his claims against MGN and News Group “at around the same time”.
He adds that he believes there was “industrial scale destruction of evidence” of unlawful information gathering in relation to him to which Mr Green asks where he gets this idea from.
“My legal team,” Harry replies.
Mr Green asks whether he thinks his phone was “consistently hacked” throughout the 15-year period between 1996 and 2011, the time period that makes up his claim against MGN.
“It could have been happening on a daily basis, I simply don’t know,” Harry responds.
Asked if he was aware of any evidence to show this, Harry says: “No, that’s part of the reason I’m here, my lord”.
12:55 PM
Harry launched claim after 'bumping into' barrister in France
After taking the duke through all of the 33 articles being considered in the case, Andrew Green KC asked him when he first approached solicitors about making a claim against MGN.
Harry said: “I didn’t go to them, I bumped into Mr Sherborne in France. It’s in my book.”
Asked when this meeting took place, the duke said: “It’s referenced in my book, 2018-ish.”
Mr Green asked if, before he spoke to lawyers, he had concerns over any particular articles being the result of unlawful activity.
Harry said: “No, I was never shown anything. It was all contained within the palace.” He added that even if he had been shown anything, he “would not have been allowed” to make a complaint.
“Unlike the position of the News of the World…you;ve never been able to identify any story in an MGN newspaper which was written as a result of a message left on your phone were you?
“That’s a question for my legal team…but I believe phone hacking started at Mirror Group,” Harry responds.
“Is it right to say that when you first went to solicitors, you were discussing a claim against News Group,” Mr Green asks.
“I think it was a discussion about how to find a way to stop the abuse and intrusion that was coming against me and my wife…without relying on the institution’s lawyers,” Harry tells the court.
12:46 PM
Harry admits Chelsy information was public at time of Mirror story
Mr Green turns back to Harry’s witness statement, in which he says he can’t understand how any of the media knew where they were or who she was at the time of the article.
“By the time of the article in the Daily Mirror,” Mr Green says, “her identity and your relationship were already in the public domain, weren’t they?” Harry responds “yes”.
Mr Green tells the court that Mr Harwood is making the point that the three construction workers were his source to certain aspects of the story.
Harry points to being “besieged” with photographers at the remote polo ranch in Argentina, and said he doesn’t understand how because only he, Chelsy and Marko Dyer had arranged it.
12:43 PM
Chelsy information sought by reporters in Argentina
Mr Green shows the court an internal MGN document, a night log, which shows one of its journalists “working on finding out the identity” of a blonde girl that Harry was with with the help of a freelancer.
“What this shows is that locals in Argentina were telling the press that the name of this young woman was Chelsy or Kelsey,” Mr Green asks.
“It also shows that this individual was relying on [a freelancer] to find out what he can on this girl,” Harry points out.
Mr Green also shows the court that her name had been published two days before, to which Harry responds with a very quiet “yes”.
12:41 PM
Interest in identifying Chelsy was 'inevitable consequence'
The court has now turned to article 15, which was missed out on Tuesday.
Published in the Daily Mirror in November 2004 and titled ‘Harry is a Chelsy fan’, it identifies Ms Davy as the “pretty blonde” with whom he had been on a holiday with in Argentina.
Harry’s complaint is the fact that the article reveals private information about his personal life, in particular his relationship with Ms Davy.
In his witness statement, Harry writes that he can’t understand how any of the media knew where they were or who she was.
Mr Green tells the court that two days prior to the article it was public knowledge that Harry had been with a “mystery blonde” in Argentina, saying that the “inevitable consequence was that the media wanted to try and discover her identity”.
12:37 PM
Duke questions email at centre of Chelsy story
We are now dealing with the final article in cross-examination, a story in the People titled ‘Chelsy’s new fella’ published in April 2009.
Mr Green says the private information considered was his relationship with Chelsy Davy and his attempts to win her back by “bombarding her with calls”.
“In the previous article I was on a date with someone else,” the Duke points out.
Mr Green says Chelsy’s “supposed friends” seemed to have been sharing information about her relationship to the press, which is where MGN journalists obtained their information from.
“Not people, one person, and even then I would question the validity of this [email],” Harry responds.
“In the other case that I have ongoing it is known that Rebekah Brooks was creating emails,” Harry adds.
12:27 PM
I never cavorted at Twickenham with PR executive, Duke tells court
Now dealing with the next article, ‘What a way to Harry on’ published by the Daily Mirror in March 2009, Harry admits the story seems to be “copy and pasted” from a previous report by the Press Association.
The article is about his relationship with Astrid Harbord and the couple’s “secret dates”.
The court hears that the PA article says the 24-year-old “openly cavorted with his new girlfriend Astrid Harbord in the box”, adding that the couple had been on a “few secret dates.”
“Astrid H and I were never in a relationship so the cavorting in Twickenham, I’m not sure what that’s referencing,” he says, adding: “Everything that was highlighted is not true.”
Mr Green asks whether the Duke is suggesting that there is anything suspicious in this article that suggests unlawful information gathering by the Mirror.
“Yes because I’ve been shown six payments to private investigators both private and commercial,” Harry says, adding that the “evidence has been destroyed.”
12:22 PM
Relationship stories just as 'distressing' to Chelsy
Mr Green has now moved onto the 30th article in question, a Sunday Mirror story titled, ‘He just loves boozing & army she is fed up & is heading home’ published in January 2009.
It details the breakdown of Harry’s relationship with Chelsy Davy due to his lifestyle and her purported view that he “loves the Army more than her”.
Mr Green claims that the article was broken as a “world exclusive” by the News of the World on January 24 in a “lengthy article that had a lot of detail”.
Harry says the News of the World story was “also a very suspicious article.”
Asked whether Chelsy might have changed her Facebook relationship status, the Duke says “I doubt she would have done that.”
Mr Green asks if there is “any particular information” from the Mirror article which the Duke considers to be “particularly suspicious”.
Harry points out that there are “lots of quotes attributed to a friend of the couple” and says that in his witness statement, he points to “very expensive payments” referenced.
Asked when he first saw this article about Chelsy in the Sunday Mirror, he says he doesn’t remember, but adds: “This is a past girlfriend who now has her own family and this process is as distressing for me as it is for her.”
12:15 PM
Hacked aide was 'point person' for Afghanistan
The next story is being cross-examined now as Mr Green rattles through the remaining articles highlighted by the Duke.
It relates to a story in the People titled ‘Soldier Harry’s Taliban’, published in September 2008.
It is a story including information about Harry’s professional life, including being banned from going back to serve in Afghanistan.
Harry confirms he was “evacuated” after an Australian journalist broke the embargo on his activities in Afghanistan and an American website reported it.
Harry tells the court he didn’t talk to people other than Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, a then royal aide, about his feelings about not being able to go back to Afghanistan because “it didn’t feel great”.
He goes on to say that Mr Lowther-Pinkerton was targeted in phone hacking and that he was his “point person” to turn to about army decisions given his military background, “particularly when I was feeling down about the decisions being made”.
Mr Green asks why Mr Lowther-Pinkerton is not able to give evidence in this case.
“He’s finished his role working for the institution and I think he would prefer to have a quiet family life after settling his phone hacking case,” Harry tells the court.
12:07 PM
'Palace sources' questioned by Duke
Mr Green quickly turns to article 28, which is titled ‘Harry fear as mobile is swiped’ and published in the Daily Mirror in July 2008.
It is about Harry’s mobile getting stolen in a nightclub in Lesotho, Southern Africa, while he was on a trip to work on charitable projects. It was written in the story that the Duke’s contacts and texts were password protected and not accessed.
MGN’s argument is that the story was reported by Agence France-Presse in the morning on the previous day and was later picked up by The Telegraph website before being run in the Daily Mirror the next day.
Mr Green tells the court that the Agence France-Presse quoted someone from the Lesotho Defence Force. The lawyer then reads that Palace sources were quoted in the Daily Telegraph, when they picked up the article.
Harry says there was nothing suspicious about this article “other than the attribution to a Palace source”.
“You question the legitimacy of the Telegraph article, then?” Mr Green asks, to which Harry says yes.
12:03 PM
'Suspicious' photographers were waiting for me and Chelsy
The court is back in session and cross-examination has turned to the 27th article, a “short story” about Harry dropping off Ms Davy on the way to Kensington Palace.
Titled, ‘Er, OK if I drop you off here?’ and published in the Sunday Mirror in December 2007, it is based on a photograph taken of the couple on the private road just off High Street Kensington in London.
“[Photographers] were only there for pretty much emergencies or big moments of the Royal family - be it wedding, engagements, hospital visits, something like that,” Harry tells the court.
He says it is “suspicious” that they were present that day.
“To know that a photographer was there, poised and waiting, is highly suspicious,” he tells the court.
11:50 AM
Harry tells judge he accepts disputed Mirror quotes were reported elsewhere
Harry has told the judge he accepts specific quotes he is being questioned about were reported in other newspapers in relation to similarities between the Daily Mirror and Mail on Sunday reports.
“If easier, I accept rather than going through every single one each time,” the Duke tells Mr Justice Fancourt.
Mr Green then asks him: “So you accept it was reported in other papers?”
“Yes I can see it on the screen,” Harry responds.
Harry says he can’t remember if he read the article, but adds: “But again a lot of these quotes are attributed to friends and by this point myself and Chelsy were not sharing anything with anyone”.
The court is now taking a ten minute break.
11:45 AM
New court sketch released
The latest court sketch of the Duke giving evidence in the High Court has been released.
Artist Elizabeth Cook has sketched Harry being cross-examined by Andrew Green KC.
11:43 AM
Harry and Chelsy trial separation 'widely reported'
The 26th article to be examined by Mr Green is a Daily Mirror article titled ‘Down in the dumped’ published in November 2007 about a trial separation between Harry and Chelsy.
Mr Green points out that the trial separation was “widely reported” the day before in all of the Sunday papers.
Harry says he will “take his word for it”, but adds that the “competitive nature” of the media industry would encourage them to find a different version of the same story to move it on.
11:41 AM
'Hooray Harry' headline was celebrating end of relationship, claims Duke
Returning to the subject of the ‘Hooray Harry’s dumped’ story, Harry says he couldn’t remember whether he read it at the time of publication but that now he found it “hurtful to say the least”.
“Going through it again now - ‘Hooray Harry is Dumped’ was hurtful to say the least, that such a private moment was turned into a bit of a laugh.
“The fact that the payments were referred to as Project Harry is incredibly disturbing.”
“The level of surveillance that I was under was quite something,” he adds.
Mr Green then asks: “You’re not suggesting that ‘Hooray Harry’ was a reference to celebrating that you were being dumped, are you?”
Harry says he is and Mr Green responds that this was a term coined in previous coverage.
“Again, if it has been used before or not, for me, to be the subject or victim of this, to see the word used in this term is hurtful,” the Duke tells the court.
“The article quotes that [Chelsy] got tired of ‘his hooray lifestyle’…it’s not celebrating the demise of your relationship,” Mr Green says, before turning to the next article.
11:36 AM
Nightclub was where I went 'occasionally not regularly'
The discussion has turned to how often Harry attended Amika, a club in West London that the Prince and Chelsy used to frequent.
The judge interrupts the questioning to ask if Harry ever went to Amika.
“It wasn’t particularly pleasant coming out to a whole heave of paparazzi or otherwise so it was somewhere I went occasionally, not regularly,” Harry told Mr Justice Fancourt.
“I wouldn’t say I was there once a month,” he clarifies to the court.
11:29 AM
News of the World published relationship details
Mr Green points to a News of the World front page article, from earlier in the same day, which covers some information about the reasons the couple broke up.
Turning back to the Sunday Mirror article in question, Mr Green says; “The information about the split and the quote about the reason for the split is very similar to the News of the World article earlier the same day.”
“Yes, that’s correct, but I believe the first edition of the News of the World story about the fact that I’d been dumped was every reason for an editor to ask journalists ‘why wasn’t this our story’,” Harry responds.
11:26 AM
'Hooray Harry's dumped' headline was 'mean'
Now discussing the 25th article in question, a story published in the Sunday Mirror titled, ‘Hooray Harry’s dumped’ (Nov 11 2007), Harry describes the headline as “mean”.
The article is about the breakdown of Ms Davy and Prince Harry’s relationship.
“I’m not entirely sure how anyone would have known we had broken up because again, we didn’t talk about this regularly,” he tells the court.
11:24 AM
I never spoke to Palace about Chelsy
Harry tells the court that he “never discussed with the Palace any details about my relationship with my girlfriend” in relation to an article published by the People in 2007 about the couple’s romance in crisis.
He goes on: “Everything that is attributed to a Palace source I believe is obtained unlawfully because I never spoke to anyone about my relationship with my girlfriend because that was private.”
“The suspicious part of it is attributing quotes to a Palace source that either doesn’t exist or certainly doesn’t have any information about me or my girlfriend,” he continues, suggesting it was all obtained unlawfully from voicemail interception.
“So we are in the land of total speculation about whether this was voicemail interception,” Mr Green asks.
“Not at all, I don’t agree,” Harry responds.
11:22 AM
Duke challenged over Mozambique article
Discussion has turned to a People article about Harry flying to Africa with Ms Davy after finishing Sandhurst and about her father’s company.
Mr Green points out journalists may have known about the trip because it appeared in a Mail on Sunday a week before being reported in the People.
Harry agrees that the information was stated in the MOS article.
11:15 AM
Harry's barrister interjects
David Sherborne, representing Harry, interjects at this point and tells the judge: “Your lordship is aware that journalists are not coming and Mr Green needs to be very careful in stating that something happened as fact.”
Mr Justice Fancourt responds: “Mr Sherborne is right in principle, you can’t invite Prince Harry to agree that something specific happened when you have no evidence to support that.”
Returning to his cross-examination, Mr Green goes on to focus on the payments - one made to the news agency Ferrari Press - and asks if Harry finds them reason to believe his or Chelsy’s phone had been hacked.
“They all are incredibly suspicious,” Harry responds
11:14 AM
Spearmint Rhino worker was 'probably paid for information'
Duke has suggested the Mirror paid someone at Spearmint Rhino for information on the story as he pointed to three payments that were made.
He also said it was “very suspicious” the Mirror had Chelsy Davy’s phone number.
“At this point knowing that my girlfriend’s number was bizarrely in the hands of Mirror journalists they would have access to her call data,” Harry says, suggesting that they got the story from analysing this data.
“It’s very suspicious that they had her number, I don’t believe she would give Mirror Group or any journalist her number,” he adds.
Harry points to three payments and says one of them is “probably to someone that works in the club” as that is “what I would do if I was a journalist”.
11:09 AM
Chelsy reference in lap-dancing report 'factually incorrect', claims Duke
The court has turned to the next article in the claim, The People: ‘Chel shocked’ (April 9 2006), which is about Chelsy Davy’s anger at Harry in a “string of phone calls”, after he visited a lap-dancing club.
Mr Green says that Harry’s visit to the Spearmint Rhino strip club had been widely reported the previous day in other publications.
“It’s factually incorrect” Harry says to the point that one of the lap dancers was a “tall statuesque blonde that bore a passing resemblance to Chelsy”.
The Duke calls this article a “classic example” of the Mirror being “one step behind” and trying to catch up to an article published in another paper the day before.
11:04 AM
Duke admits he would feel 'injustice' if claims are not accepted
Turning to Harry’s witness statement, Mr Green says he has “repeatedly made references to call data”.
Mr Green asks if he is aware that there is no call data from Mirror journalists linked to Prince Harry’s phone, to which Harry replies that burner phones being used explains this.
“If the court found that you were never hacked by any MGN journalist would you be relieved or disappointed?” the lawyer then asks.
Harry responds: “I’m not entirely sure whether I would be relieved or disappointed - I believe phone hacking was at an industrial scale at all three of the papers at the time and that is without a doubt.”
“I would feel some injustice if it wasn’t accepted,” the Duke adds.
“So you want to have been phone hacked?” Mr Green asks.
“Nobody wants to be phone hacked, my lord,” Harry responds.
11:00 AM
'Risk worth reward for phone-hacking journalists'
The Duke has indicated the reward for journalists who hack phones outweighs the risk of getting caught.
He made the claim when discussing two News of the World articles published in 2006 that were the result of intercepting voicemails.
“There was very little to go on, it was unprecedented, I don’t think anyone, even the police, knew how to go about it,” Prince Harry says about the police investigation into phone hacking around the Royal family in 2006.
“Then you can assume that any journalist would be taking an enormous risk in hacking you or your brother’s phones after the convictions,” Mr Green asks.
“I think there was risk right from the beginning,” Harry responds, adding: “I believe the risk is worth the reward for them”.
10:58 AM
Duke says Palace dealt with phone hacking investigation
Discussing two 2006 News of the World articles about Princes Harry, William and Chelsy Davy that were the result of phone hacking, Mr Green says “these two incidents of phone hacking by News of the World were of voicemails of those close to Prince William”.
Asked if he recalls these articles, the Duke says “vaguely, yes”.
“Following the publication of these articles in the News of the World then there was a police investigation which focused on phone hacking of members of the Royal family and those around them,” Mr Green says.
The Duke says he doesn’t recall talking to the Metropolitan Police about this, saying that “it all went through the Palace.”
“It was all out of my hands,” he adds.
“There were no arrests of Mirror Group journalists,” Mr Green tells the court after noting that the News of the World journalists were arrested.
10:50 AM
People story 'littered with inaccuracies'
Harry tells the court that the People article in question was “littered with inaccuracies” as he again admitted to not seeing stories at the time they were published.
“I’m suggesting that the article was littered with inaccuracies,” he says, to which Mr Green responds: “So, it’s inaccuracies that you’re complaining about?”
The Duke disagrees with this question and tells the court that it says he was emailing Ms Davy every day.
“I was one of the few cadets that was allowed my mobile phone at night when everyone else had theirs taken away in the first five weeks,” he clarifies.
Asked when he first saw the article, the Duke responds that he can’t remember but it was “somewhat distressing going through it again with my legal team”.
“Most of the articles I don’t remember seeing because there were so many but all of them were equally distressing and it’s more distressing going through them again,” he tells the court.
“Yes, I believe so,” the Duke responds when asked whether he is claiming that this article involved phone hacking.
10:47 AM
'Realms of speculation' repeated by MGN lawyer
MGN lawyer has again suggested the Duke is in “realms of speculation” after challenging him on claims his ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy’s phone was being hacked by Mirror Group around the time of the article’s publication.
“I believe at the same time that my number was also in Nick Buckley’s palm pilot, and he was a prolific hacker,” the Duke responds.
Mr Green used the phrase on Tuesday when the Duke admitted he was “not sure” whose phone was hacked when he broke his thumb playing football at Eton and it appeared in the media.
10:44 AM
'Injury only of public interest if it's life-threatening'
The Duke has suggested stories about injuries he has suffered could only be of public interest if it was life threatening.
Discussing an Independent article that was published before the People article in Harry’s claim, Mr Green tells the court that a senior officer had raised the issue that other Sandhurst cadets might feel Harry was getting preferential treatment.
Prince Harry then gets pressed about what he would constitute a public interest story about him.
“I don’t believe it affected the wellbeing of society,” Harry says in response to a question from Mr Green about whether this story about his injury was in the public interest.
Asked about what he would consider a public interest story about himself, the Duke responds: “I’m not entirely sure other than speculating…a life threatening injury.”
“I could save a lot of time by talking about the article itself as opposed to just the injury,” he adds.
10:37 AM
Duke agrees he gave injury quotes
Mr Green points out that the article quotes Harry talking about his injury and his disappointment that he couldn’t march.
“This gave detailed information about the condition of your knee, didn’t it…and it also included quotes from you, didn’t it?” Mr Green asks.
Prince Harry agrees to both points.
“That’s in reference to while I was at Sandhurst and the distrust I ended up having with the medical staff as a result of this,” Harry adds.
10:35 AM
'Harry carry!'
This is the article the Duke is currently being questioned about
The People: ‘Harry carry!’ (May 15 2005)
A story including particular information of the claimant being let off marches at Sandhurst due to his knee injury. It said cadets at the academy were furious that the Prince had been “let off gruelling runs” after he said he hurt his knee.
MGN denies a payment of £150 made for contribution to this article and says that “much of” the information came from a confidential source who “specialised in royal matters”. They claim there had been “numerous” previous reports about his ongoing knee injury.
10:32 AM
Proceedings under way in the High Court
The third day of the Duke of Sussex’s case against Mirror Group Newspapers is under way in the High Court.
Andrew Green KC, representing MGN, begins by telling Harry that they are now on the 22nd article in his cross-examination.
The Duke interjects, saying: “Good morning Mr Green”.
The article they are discussing is from The People, titled: ‘Harry carry!’ (May 15 2005).
Harry says he recalls this article.
10:29 AM
Duke returns to witness box
The Duke is back in the witness box. He appears relaxed - chatting to a solicitor and organising his many files and evidence bundles, writes Victoria Ward in the High Court.
Having sat through a full day of evidence yesterday there was less of a reaction when he walked into the courtroom. The novelty has faded.
10:16 AM
Duke's cross-examination to resume
The Duke of Sussex is likely to be cross-examined until at least lunchtime on Wednesday, MGN’s lawyer Andrew Green told the High Court in his closing remarks on Tuesday.
Mr Green said he had gone through 21 of the 33 articles put forward by the Duke as examples of unlawful information gathering to support his claim.
Harry’s barrister, David Sherborne, said he needed time to “re-examine” the Duke which could see him spend more time in the witness box.
It is believed the Duke’s evidence will conclude on Wednesday
10:00 AM
Pictured: Harry arrives at court
This is the moment the Duke of Sussex arrived at the High Court to continue giving evidence for a second day in his claim against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).
09:54 AM
Duke arrives at High Court to resume evidence
The Duke of Sussex has arrived at the High Court to resume giving evidence in his case against Mirror Group Newspapers
Harry will return to the witness box at 10.30am.
09:50 AM
US government given week to decide releasing Duke's visa records
As we await the arrival of the Duke of Sussex...
A judge has given the US government a week to make a decision on releasing records relating to the his visa application, Nick Allen reports.
Judge Carl J Nichols told the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to decide by next Tuesday whether or not to release documents, and whether to expedite a freedom of information request related to them.
The judge said, if the decision was a rejection of the request then the case could be argued in court. He added that the decision by the department was “moot” because three other parts of government had already rejected the release.
The US government was being challenged to release the Duke’s visa records following his admissions of illegal drug use.
Read more here
09:12 AM
Scene outside High Court as media await Harry
Photographers and members of the media are back outside the High Court as the Duke of Sussex is set to return this morning.
Harry is due to resume his evidence at 10.30am after nearly five hours of questioning on Tuesday.
His cross-examination is expected to last until at lunchtime, or 1pm, when court will adjourn for an hour, but it may take longer.
09:03 AM
Analysis: Harry’s paranoia reveals man who has failed to cope with fame
Quite what “call me Prince Harry” was expecting when he strode confidently into the High Court just after 9.30am on Tuesday is anyone’s guess, writes Camilla Tominey.
As he was ushered into the Rolls Building from the back of a blacked out Range Rover, a phalanx of paparazzi snapping his every step, he even managed a smile at the press he claims has been “hostile” towards him since he “was born”.
But as he became the first member of the Royal family to appear in the witness box since Edward VII was at the centre of a baccarat scandal in 1891, it soon became apparent that Oprah Winfrey this wasn’t.
Read more here.
08:53 AM
Inside the courtroom as Harry gave evidence
The Telegraph’s Royal Editor Victoria Ward sets the scene as Harry spent the day in the High Court
As Prince Harry walked into Court 15, shortly before 10.30am, silence descended.
The suited and booted journalists and lawyers seated shoulder to shoulder in the second floor, modern courtroom craned their necks for a look at the royal witness.
For all of the many cases most of us had covered, none had involved a senior member of the Royal family taking to the witness stand.
Read more here.
08:47 AM
Duke admits memoir contradicts legal claims
The Duke of Sussex was forced to admit his Spare memoir had contradicted claims made in the High Court during his case against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).
The Duke told the High Court he couldn’t remember whether he wanted to meet his mother’s former butler Paul Burrell, despite his opposition apparently causing a rift with his brother the Prince of Wales.
On Monday, Harry’s barrister, David Sherborne, said the article showed how “seeds of discord” had been created between the brothers, as he claimed unlawful information gathering by tabloid newspapers played a part in the deterioration of their relationship.
Read more here.
08:35 AM
10 things we learned about Harry from day in court
The Duke’s historic appearance in the witness box revealed a host of new details previously not known about Harry and the Royal family.
Telegraph reporters Martin Evans and Victoria Ward bring you the things we learnt about Harry from his big day in court.
Read more here.
08:26 AM
The Duke’s claims and counter-claims, article by article
The Telegraph’s chief reporter Robert Mendick has examined the courtroom battle so far as claims and counter-claims were challenged by the Duke and Andrew Green KC, the barrister representing Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).
Read more here.
08:18 AM
‘Piers Morgan subjected Meghan and I to horrific personal attacks’
The Duke of Sussex accused Piers Morgan of subjecting him and his wife to “a barrage of horrific personal attacks and intimidation”, Anita Singh reports.
In his witness statement, the Duke added that he felt “physically sick” at the thought of Mr Morgan or his journalists allegedly listening to voicemails left by the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
The Duke claimed that Mr Morgan, formerly editor of the Daily Mirror, had embarked upon a personal vendetta against him and the Duchess in retaliation for these legal proceedings.
Read more here
08:10 AM
James Hewitt stories designed to oust me from Royal family, Duke claims
The Duke of Sussex has suggested stories containing rumours he was fathered by Army Major James Hewitt were designed to oust him from the Royal family, report Martin Evans and Victoria Ward.
In a blistering 55-page witness statement outlining his case against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) the Duke revealed he spent many years questioning the motives of stories suggesting King Charles III was not his biological father.
He told the High Court it was only in 2014 that he actually discovered his mother had not met Major Hewitt until after he was born.
Illustrating the hurt he said was caused by the stories, the Duke pointed to an article published in The People in 2002 concerning a “plot to steal a sample of his DNA” to test his parentage.
Read more here.
07:53 AM
Government at 'rock bottom'
The Duke of Sussex lashed out at Britain’s “rock bottom” government and struggled to prove his phone-hacking claims during his landmark court appearance, Victoria Ward reports.
The Duke, 38, became the first senior royal in more than 130 years to appear in the witness box as he gave evidence in his case against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).
He is suing the publisher over 148 articles he alleges came from illegal activity, including phone-hacking.
The Duke used his 55-page witness statement to break with royal convention and make an extraordinary intervention into politics.
Read more here.
07:52 AM
Good morning
Welcome to the Telegraph’s live coverage of the Duke of Sussex’s claim of unlawful information gathering against the publisher of the Daily Mirror in the High Court.
We will be providing live updates to proceedings as Harry resumes evidence at 10.30am in the Rolls Building.
Let’s recap what happened yesterday as the Duke was questioned for nearly five hours about his claims that stories were unlawfully obtained.
