Prince Harry’s legal battle against the publisher of the Daily Mail has pulled some of the most intimate relationships of his life into the spotlight—most notably his bond with Prince William and Princess Kate.
On January 21, the Duke of Sussex’s witness statement was made public, the same day he appeared in London’s High Court to give evidence in his lawsuit against Associated Newspapers.
Harry, now 41, is among several prominent figures accusing the media group of unlawful information gathering, claims the publisher continues to deny.
At the heart of Harry’s filing is a detailed attempt to show how deeply private information about his life could not have reached the press unless it was obtained illegally.
To make that case, he outlined a circle of people he said he was in “regular contact” with over a period spanning from around 1996 to at least 2014—years during which he believes confidential details repeatedly surfaced in the media.
Prince William and the Trust That Once Existed
PEOPLE, who were present in the courtroom, reported that Harry named ten individuals in total. The list included his closest family members, trusted aides, and a former girlfriend. Among them were Prince William, Princess Kate, King Charles III, and Chelsy Davy.
Harry’s reference to his older brother stood out, particularly given the long-running and highly publicized rift between the two. In the statement, Harry emphasized how close they once were and how much trust existed between them at the time.
“HRH The Prince of Wales, my brother William,” the statement read. “Due to his position, the press have always been very interested in him.
As brothers, we naturally discussed personal aspects of our lives as we trusted each other with the highly sensitive information we shared about our private, family and professional lives.”
The mention of William comes at a moment when relations between the brothers remain strained. Sources have confirmed that during Harry’s current visit to the U.K. for the trial, there were no plans for him to meet with William, underscoring how unresolved the tensions remain.
King Charles and the Weight of Royal Scrutiny
King Charles was also named, with Harry drawing attention to the level of media scrutiny surrounding his father and the nature of their private communications.
“HM King Charles III, my father,” the statement said. “During the Relevant Period, my father and I were in regular contact. He was also of great interest to the press due to his position.
My private information would have been present on voicemails, containing highly personal, private and sensitive information, left on his landline phone by me, other members of my family and the Royal Household.”
Despite being in the country at the same time, Harry did not plan to see his father during this trip. Their last meeting took place months earlier, during a long-anticipated reunion in London in September.
Chelsy Davy, Princess Kate, and the Inner Circle Named
The statement also revisited Harry’s relationship with Chelsy Davy, whom he dated intermittently for several years. He described the nature of their long-distance relationship and the private conversations they shared across continents.
“Chelsy Davy, a former girlfriend. We met in about early 2004 and were in a relationship which continued, on and off, until around mid-2010. Our relationship was long distance for the majority of the time we were together, with Chelsy and I often living in different countries,” the entry read.
“We, naturally, spoke about all types of personal matters, including all aspects of our relationship and this was often through calls, texts and voicemails left on her mobile and landline phone in South Africa,” the statement continued.
“As she was my girlfriend, I trusted Chelsy with the most private of information and vice versa. I know that [private investigator] Gavin Burrows admitted doing lots of unlawful activities in respect of her which is deeply troubling but explains how Associated got so much information about us (often before others).”
Princess Kate appeared much later in the list and was mentioned only briefly. Her inclusion was notably minimal compared to others.
“HRH The Princess of Wales, my brother’s wife,” the statement said.
Other individuals named included Mark Dyer, a former royal equerry, Helen Asprey, Harry’s former private secretary, and Tiggy Legge-Bourke, who served as a nanny to both William and Harry during their childhood.
Elsewhere in the filing, Harry reflected on the culture of silence he says defined royal life for decades. As a “member of the Institution,” he explained that he felt compelled to follow the royal family’s long-standing media approach.
“There was no alternative; I was conditioned to accept it,” he said, referencing the principle of “never complain, never explain.”
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