Prince Harry has denied being 'Mr Mischief' during his cross-examination in the High Court, where he is suing Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over allegations of unlawful information gathering.
Antony White KC, representing ANL, suggested the Duke of Sussex used a Facebook profile named 'Mr Mischief' to contact a Mail on Sunday journalist, Charlotte Griffiths. Harry said he had 'never used the name Mr Mischief' and had 'no idea' if he exchanged messages with Griffiths.
The duke also disputed claims that he met Griffiths in Ibiza in 2011, stating he had only visited the island with his wife, Meghan Markle. The barrister alleged Harry exchanged friendly messages and his mobile number with Griffiths via Facebook.
Harry's claim involves 14 articles published by ANL, many concerning his former girlfriend Chelsy Davy, whom he described as his 'one true love'. He said the newspaper's methods created a 'massive strain' on personal relationships and left Davy 'terrified'.
The duke, along with Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sir Simon Hughes, Sadie Frost, and Liz Hurley, alleges ANL engaged in phone hacking, landline bugging, and 'blagging' to obtain private information. ANL denies the allegations and argues the case is brought too late.
Harry told the court the press attention felt like 'full blown stalking and constant surveillance'. His witness statement, released during the hearing, said the articles drove him 'paranoid beyond belief' and that the papers wanted to 'drive me to drugs and drinking to sell more of their papers'.
