Photo Credit; Getty Images
Newly revealed court documents have shed light on a series of private Facebook messages exchanged between Prince Harry and Mail on Sunday reporter Charlotte Griffiths before he realized she was a journalist.
The messages, exchanged between December 2011 and January 2012, were presented as evidence in Prince Harry's ongoing privacy lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, Associated Newspapers Limited.
Court records reveal that the messages contained flirtatious banter, with Harry addressing Griffiths as "sugar" and Griffiths playfully nicknaming him "Mr. Mischief." In one message, she ended with "Smooches, CG String."
The correspondence also included discussions about attending parties and charity events, including a January 2012 ski trip supporting Harry's Sentebale charity. Harry allegedly joked about drinking Griffiths "under the table" and mentioned missing shared moments, including "movie snuggles."
These messages emerged toward the end of Harry's civil lawsuit, which he pursued alongside other well-known figures such as Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley. The
plaintiffs allege that Associated Newspapers used unlawful methods to obtain private information.
Harry has insisted that his interactions with Griffiths were purely social and that he ended communication once he realized she worked as a journalist, stressing that none of his close friends were sharing information with the press.
Griffiths, who started at the Mail on Sunday in 2008 and eventually became its diary editor, challenged Harry's version of events, stating in her witness statement that she and the prince had a social acquaintance through mutual friends, including Arthur Landon.
She also described joining gatherings in Ibiza and the English countryside with social groups linked to Harry, and noted that she intentionally did not cover Kate Middleton's pregnancy with Prince George after learning about it in a private context.
In court, lawyers for Associated Newspapers explained that the nickname "Mr. Mischief" originated from Griffiths in her messages, rather than being a name Harry used himself.
After 11 weeks of testimony, the trial has wrapped up, though Judge Matthew Nicklin has yet to issue a final verdict.
