Daily Mail Royal Editor Denies Using Private Investigator for Prince Harry Info
Rebecca English, the royal editor for the Daily Mail, has firmly denied accusations that she employed a private investigator to unlawfully gather information about the Duke of Sussex and his former girlfriends. The allegations emerged during a high court trial in London, where English was presented with emails suggesting the investigator "went out on a limb" to assist her.
Emails Revealed in Court
Prince Harry is among seven claimants suing Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), the publisher of the Daily Mail, over claims that its journalists benefited from decades of unlawful information gathering. ANL has denied all allegations, asserting that all stories were obtained legitimately. English's name appears on six articles cited by Harry in the case.
The focus of the trial has largely centered on work conducted by Mike Behr, a private investigator based in South Africa. English described Behr as "a freelance journalist who could help on Africa stories." During her testimony, she was shown an email from Behr sent in December 2007, which contained exact flight details for Chelsy Davy, who was in a relationship with Prince Harry at the time.
In the email, Behr also inquired whether English and a reporter from the Sun "can plant someone next to her?" David Sherborne, the lead barrister for the claimants, argued that this information "could only have been obtained from the computer system" of the airline, implying it was acquired through "blagging," or unlawful means.
English's Defence
English stated she did not recall the email and "did not ask" for such flight details. She emphasized, "[Behr] was never asked for anything like this, ever. That is something I would never even consider doing, now or then." Regarding the suggestion of planting someone near Davy, English called it "an absolutely shameful suggestion both by him and by you," noting the lack of a reply to the email as evidence she never saw it.
Sherborne contended that unlawfully obtained information was used in a story about a "make-or-break holiday" for Harry and Davy. However, English denied this, suggesting the information likely came from students at the University of Leeds, where Davy studied, who were part of her social circle.
Financial Transactions and Further Allegations
Additional emails from 2006 and 2014 were presented in court. In one, Behr discussed taking "the cost of the airline searches out" of payments and mentioned billing English £200 for half the cost. English explained that payments to Behr were made as a day rate, not for specific information.
In a 2014 exchange, Behr indicated that a £350 payment from English "for Harry work ... simply doesn't cover the info provided. It's simply not worth it. I think you know exactly what I mean..." He later added that extra payment was warranted "not for time spent but for going out on a limb." English attributed this to Behr's difficult nature, stating he often pushed for more money during phone calls.
Sherborne suggested the payment "doesn't even cover the bribes he had to pay" for attempts to secure unlawfully obtained information related to Harry and his then-girlfriend, Cressida Bonas. English refuted this, repeatedly stating it was "absolutely untrue" she ever used Behr for blagged information from hotels or airlines, clarifying that the 2014 emails pertained to monitoring a charity trek Harry undertook in Antarctica.
The case continues as the high court examines further evidence and testimonies.
