Prince Harry's Flirty Texts With Journalist Unveiled in Court

Prince Harry's old Facebook DMs just got read into the record. As part of his privacy lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Limited, the High Court was shown messages he sent to Mail on Sunday reporter Charlotte Griffiths back in late 2011 and early 2012. It is very early-2010s energy: flirty nicknames, chaotic weekends, and at least one line that made my eyebrows leave my face.

What turned up in court

The messages, exchanged between December 2011 and January 2012, show Harry (now 41) and Griffiths chatting after what sounds like a particularly rowdy country-house weekend. He introduced himself over Facebook, she volleyed back with jokes about getting home and racing a friend named Arthur, and the banter kept going. Harry called it one of the best weekends he had been to, said he had not laughed that hard in 24 hours, and playfully pushed back on a 'Mr Mischief' nickname. He also mentioned post-party withdrawals, then pivoted to a more dutiful note about making awkward small talk at a charity dinner while asking people for money.

Griffiths floated a 'team reunion' and noted the group email had gone quiet. About ten days later, Harry told her she had missed a good party. By January 22, 2012, she was addressing him as 'H Bomb' and saying he was missed at Arthur's gathering. He replied that he wished he could have made it but was stuck in Cornwall with Army duties — and then he really leaned into the flirty-familiar tone.

"I WISH I was there sugar but unfortunately stuck in Cornwall doing Army stuff :( Otherwise I would have been there playing and then drinking u under the table,obvi!! Just wish I could have been there ... especially now that you're there! Dou ever work?!!.... Hope you're really well Griff ... Miss our movie snuggles!! I'm off comms all week incase u think I'm being rude,keep me posted xxx xxx xxx."

The timeline, cleaned up

• Dec 4, 2011: Harry messages Griffiths on Facebook to say it's him; they trade jokes about a wild weekend and a motorway race with a friend named Arthur.
• Mid-December 2011: She suggests a reunion and notes the group email banter is dead; about ten days later, Harry tells her she missed a good party.
• Jan 22, 2012: Griffiths calls him 'H Bomb' and says he was missed at Arthur's; Harry says he is in Cornwall doing Army work, adds the 'movie snuggles' line, and warns he will be off comms for a week.
• Later context raised in court: Griffiths says the two were at a party the following June and texted the next morning; she remembers it because Harry stayed up all night before heading to Trooping the Colour. Call records shown to the court reportedly log a 2:50 a.m. call and three texts the next morning.

What each side told the court

Harry's version: he says he met Griffiths once at a party hosted by a mutual friend, realized the next day she was a journalist, then cut contact. He told the court he had no idea whether she moved in his social circles, and that he 'had words' with his friend when he clocked her job and that was that.

Griffiths' version: she says she was in the same social orbit as the younger royals, that Harry friended her on Facebook in 2011 and sent his number, and that they interacted online after that. She says they were at that June party and exchanged messages afterward — with the late night-to-Trooping detail sticking in her memory.

Where the case stands

The trial wrapped on Tuesday, March 31, with closing submissions from both sides to Mr Justice Nicklin. He will issue a ruling later. The messages were disclosed as part of Harry's broader privacy claim against Associated Newspapers Limited.

And for context

Years after those messages, Harry married Meghan Markle in 2018. They have two kids: Prince Archie (2019) and Princess Lilibet (2021).

My take: for a case about privacy, the most surprising thing here is how casually personal those old messages read. The 'movie snuggles' line is the sort of oddly specific detail that tends to stick with a court — and a jury of the internet.