Prince Harry’s war with the British tabloids just took an awkward turn—with his own private messages now front and center.
Newly revealed texts shown in court expose the Duke of Sussex’s flirty exchanges with former Mail on Sunday reporter Charlotte Griffiths, including pet names, inside jokes, and a trail of kisses that complicate his case against the publisher.
The messages, dating back to 2011—years before he met Meghan Markle—show Harry calling Griffiths “sugar,” while she dubbed him “Mr Mischief” and signed off one message with “Smooches, CG String. Xxx,” a cheeky nod that has now been exposed in the courtroom.
At the heart of Harry’s lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Limited—the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday—is the claim that journalists relied on unlawful tactics to obtain private information. But the resurfaced messages are being used to suggest that at least some reporters, including Griffiths, had direct access to the prince through social circles.
Griffiths told the court in a witness statement that she and Harry “knew each other socially for a time,” adding that her friends—including those who introduced her to the prince—were aware she was a journalist working under royal correspondent Katie Nicholl.
She said Harry himself sent her his number via Facebook while he was hosting a party with their mutual friend, Arthur Landon, sparking what quickly became a string of playful, at times suggestive exchanges.
“It’s H, in case u were confused by the name and picture,” Harry wrote in one message.
The banter soon escalated. Griffiths reminisced about a “weekend of naughtiness” the pair had shared, adding she wished they could “get up to no good in the countryside every weekend.”
Harry appeared equally enthusiastic, replying that it was “without doubt the best of those weekends I’ve been to.”
In another exchange during a January 2012 ski trip, Griffiths fawned over the prince—calling him “H-bomb”—while Harry responded that he wished he could join her but was “stuck in Cornwall doing Army stuff.”
“Otherwise I would have been there playing and then drinking u under the table, obvi!!” he added.
A source close to Harry pushed back on the implications of the messages, telling the Daily Beast that the situation is “really not that complicated.”
“Griffiths never disclosed the fact she was a journalist, and if anything, these messages prove her ability to blag and be deceptive,” the source said.
The source added that “none of the group knew she was a journalist,” claiming Harry “only met her once” and cut off contact after learning who she was.
Griffiths’ account directly contradicts that version of events, setting up a credibility clash that could prove crucial to the case, which is yet to be decided.
Harry is one of seven plaintiffs suing Associated Newspapers Limited over alleged unlawful information gathering, including claims of voicemail interception, phone hacking, and the use of private investigators to obtain personal details.
The allegations date back to the 1990s and form part of a broader legal battle Harry has waged against the British press.
The publisher has denied wrongdoing and is fighting the claims in court, arguing that much of the information about Harry came from legitimate sources—including individuals like Griffith that were within his social orbit.
The trial, which has played out in the spotlight for weeks, has come to an end—but Judge Matthew Nicklin has deferred judgement.
Want more royal gossip, scoops and scandal? Follow all Tom Sykes’ reporting at The Royalist on Substack or listen to The Royalist podcast on YouTube.
