Prince Harry Exchanged Flirty Facebook Messages with Reporter Before Learning She Was a Journalist, Court Hears

New court filings in Prince Harry’s high-stakes privacy lawsuit against Associated Newspapers have revealed a series of private Facebook messages between the Duke of Sussex and a journalist he allegedly did not know was a reporter.

The documents, surfaced during the final stages of the 11-week trial, detail exchanges from late 2011 to early 2012 between Harry, 41, and Charlotte Griffiths, now the editor-at-large for the Mail on Sunday. The correspondence offers a rare glimpse into the Prince’s social circles during a period he claims was plagued by unlawful media surveillance.

A central point of contention involved the pseudonym “Mr. Mischief.” While previous reports suggested Harry utilized the alias to operate a secret account, defense counsel Antony White KC admitted to the court on Tuesday that he had mistakenly attributed the name to the Prince.

The logs indicate it was Griffiths who addressed Harry as “Mr. Mischief” in a December 2011 message. Harry had initiated the contact to clarify his identity, writing: “It’s H, incase u were confused by name and picture!!!”

The messages reveal a familiar rapport, with Griffiths referencing a “fun weekend of naughtiness” at a country house party. Harry’s replies included jokes about drinking her “under the table” and a sign-off mentioning “movie snuggles.”

Prince Harry testified that he was unaware of Griffiths’ professional role at the Mail on Sunday when they met through mutual friend Arthur Landon. Upon discovering her occupation, Harry told the court he confronted his friend and immediately “cut off contact” with her.

“I am not friends with any of these journalists,” Harry stated during his January testimony, reinforcing his claim that his inner circle did not leak information to the press.

The Prince also contested Griffiths’ claims that they had met at a house party in Ibiza. Harry maintained that his only visits to the Spanish island were with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their son, Prince Archie, in 2019.

The case against Associated Newspapers—publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday—includes other high-profile claimants such as Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley. The group alleges the publisher employed unlawful methods, including bugging and phone tapping, to secure stories. Associated Newspapers continues to deny all allegations of wrongdoing.

The trial concluded on March 31, and a final ruling from Mr. Justice Nicklin is expected later this year. The decision could set a significant precedent for royal privacy and media accountability in the digital age.