Prince Harry's close circle of friends were not "tight-lipped" and actively provided information to journalists, according to testimony given at the High Court on Thursday. Former diary editor Katie Nicholl stated that the Duke of Sussex's acquaintances spoke to her during her tenure at The Mail on Sunday.
Courtroom Testimony Contradicts Claim of Secrecy
The journalist, aged 48, was providing evidence in a significant privacy lawsuit brought against The Mail on Sunday and the Daily Mail by Prince Harry and six other prominent public figures. Associated Newspapers, which publishes both titles, firmly denies all allegations that its journalists engaged in unlawful activities, including commissioning private detectives to hack voicemails, intercept landline calls, and obtain private information through deception.
"I Had Very Good Sources"
Ms Nicholl told the court: "I did not need to rely on unlawful information gathering methods while working from home because I maintained very good sources close to Prince Harry who were willing to speak with me." This statement directly countered arguments presented by David Sherborne, who represents the duke and other claimants. Sherborne had asserted that Harry and his friends distrusted journalists and were consistently careful to remain "tight-lipped" around them.
Ms Nicholl responded emphatically: "They were not all tight-lipped. They certainly were not. I had excellent sources within the inner circle who provided information."
Social Encounters and Party Invitations
The journalist described meeting Prince Harry when he was a young man and encountering him frequently at various social events and nightclubs he favored, including Boujis and Amika. In a notable incident from 2003, while attending a celebrity party at Kensington Roof Gardens in west London, Ms Nicholl claimed that Harry personally invited her to join him at a party in a private room.
She recounted: "Prince Harry was standing in the doorway of a private room, smoking a cigarette. He said, 'Hello, would you like to come to my party?' and I replied, 'Yes please, because the one I'm at is pretty dull.' Not only did he invite me inside, but he also introduced me to his friends, and I remained there for the entire evening."
Conflicting Memories of the Event
During his own evidence, Prince Harry stated that he could only "vaguely remember" Ms Nicholl being present at the party and explicitly denied extending any invitation to her. Ms Nicholl, who has authored several books about the Royal Family, maintained her version of events with conviction.
She said: "I absolutely remember that moment clearly. It is not every day that you receive an invitation to a party from one of the most famous princes in the world." The ongoing trial continues to examine these contrasting accounts and broader allegations of privacy violations.
