Prince Harry's 'Not Leaky' Claim In Court Contradicted By His Own Email, Reporter Says
The Mail on Sunday reporter revealed how journalists receive information during a recent interview.
Prince Harry’s case against Associated Newspapers did not go in his favor this week. But the legal tussle renewed attention towards how journalists receive news. The Duke of Sussex had alleged that the Daily Mail was involved in unlawful information gathering and had intercepted voicemails for articles it published between 2001 and 2013. However, recently Charlotte Griffiths, reporter for The Mail on Sunday, revealed that journalists receive tips from close aides and sometimes even senior royals work with the media. She further claimed that Princess Diana worked with the press “a lot”, and King Charles “still does”.
During the trial, Harry had claimed that his circle wasn’t “leaky”. However, Griffiths countered that during an interview with TalkTV this week. She detailed an email conversation between the Duke and his friend, Tom Inskipp, saying, “Harry's whole case is based on this idea that his circle wasn't leaky. And in one piece of evidence, there's actually an email from Harry to his friend Tom Inskipp saying, ‘How did this story about Meghan Markle coming to your wedding get out in the press? Charlotte Griffiths wrote about it.’ And Tom Inskipp says, ‘I'll find out who the leak is.’ He used the word ‘leak’.”
She then revealed how the information about Markle being invited to the wedding got out. “And then (Inskipp) said, 'Oh, well, I asked my wife, and she told five friends at dinner.’ Well, that is how journalism works. One person tells five people, five people tell five people. In this instance, it didn't even get that far. One of those people just told me straight away because people were excited. The fiancée said, "Well, ‘Meghan Markle's coming to my wedding’,‘" and told five people. And they said, 'Oh, you'd never guess who's going to Lara's wedding.’ That is gossip. Humans gossip,” Griffiths added.
The reporter further noted that she believed Harry would have understood the inner workings of journalism, considering that his parents worked closely with the press. “The fact that Harry used the word leak in an email with his friend and then stood up in court and said, 'My friendship circle wasn't leaky,’ misunderstands A, his own friendship circle, B, the word leak, and C, how journalism works. And he would have thought he would understand how journalism works because he's been at the inner workings of journalism just as much as we have,” she said, “His mother worked with the press a lot. The King still does.”
Griffiths had played a significant role in Harry’s trial as the unseen Facebook messages exchanged between them were made public in court. The conversations focused on “movie snuggles”. However, the Duke’s lawyer, David Sherborne, had allegedly called her a “fantasist” and reportedly accused her of making up an anecdote, suggesting that she was guilty of perjury, according to Griffiths. She criticized him for that.
So far, the Duke’s visit to the UK has been rather anti-climactic. He was turned away from Buckingham Palace, lost his four-year-long court case, and new reports that don’t exactly show him in a positive light are fast emerging.
