Prince Harry’s ‘Mr. Mischief’ Messages Surface in Privacy Lawsuit
A series of decade-traditional Facebook messages between Prince Harry and a journalist have emerged during the Duke of Sussex’s ongoing legal battle against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. The messages, dating from December 2011 to January 2012, reveal a surprisingly flirtatious rapport that contrasts with the prince’s recent testimony regarding his relationships with the press.
The ‘Mr. Mischief’ Exchanges
The communications involve Charlotte Griffiths, a former Mail on Sunday diary editor and current editor-at-large. According to reports from The Telegraph and The Times, the exchange began after the pair met at a party hosted by mutual friend and movie producer Arthur Landon.
The messages featured a playful tone, with Griffiths referring to the prince as “Mr. Mischief” and referencing a “weekend of naughtiness.” Prince Harry responded in kind, claiming it was “without doubt the best of those weekends I’ve been to” and questioning how he earned his nickname.
Other notable details from the leaked messages include:
- Flirtatious Language: Harry referred to Griffiths as “sugar” and signed off messages with “mwah” and strings of kisses.
- Personal References: The prince purportedly wrote, “Miss our movie snuggles,” and joked about “drinking [her] under the table.”
- Future Plans: In January 2012, Harry messaged Griffiths stating he planned on “getting back in the mix for Feb!” and told her she “best be around.”
Contradictions in Court
The emergence of these texts has drawn scrutiny because they appear to contradict Prince Harry’s previous statements in the High Court. In January, the prince testified that he had “cut contact” with Griffiths immediately upon discovering she was a journalist. He told the court, “I had no idea that she was a journalist at that time… I found out who she was. I had words with my friend and that was that.”
Yet, the timing and nature of the Facebook messages suggest a level of familiarity and a duration of contact that extends beyond a single weekend meeting.
Context of the Privacy Lawsuit
These messages surfaced during the closing stages of a broader privacy case. Prince Harry, along with six other claimants—including Sir Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley—is suing Associated Newspapers Limited. The claimants allege that the publisher engaged in a “clear, systematic and sustained use of unlawful information gathering” between 1993 and 2011 to obtain stories on public figures.
- Timeline: The messages were exchanged between December 2011 and January 2012.
- Platform: The communications took place via Facebook.
- The Conflict: The flirty nature of the texts challenges Harry’s testimony that he had no journalist friendships and severed ties immediately.
- Legal Action: The texts emerged as part of a wider lawsuit regarding unlawful information gathering by U.K. Tabloids.
What’s Next?
Testimony in the case concluded on March 31, 2026. Although the messages provide a glimpse into the prince’s private interactions from over a decade ago, the core of the legal battle remains focused on whether Associated Newspapers utilized illegal methods to harvest private data for their reporting.