Prince Harry sent a series of very flirty messages to a journalist and referred to their "movie snuggles", a court heard on Tuesday.
The Duke of Sussex, 41, added Mail on Sunday journalist Charlotte Griffiths on Facebook in 2011 and gave her his phone number, London's High Court was told.
The revelations were given during the closing submissions to Mr Justice Nicklin as Harry's 11-week privacy trial against Associated Newspapers Limited, the publisher of the Daily Mail, concluded. The final ruling will be revealed at a later date.
Messages dated between December 2011 and January 2012 saw several flirty exchanges take place between Harry and Charlotte, 40, formerly deputy diary editor and currently the paper's editor at large. Harry referred to their "movie snuggles", called Charlotte "sugar", and signed a message with "mwah" and kisses.
However, Harry told the court in January that he had only met Charlotte once at a party hosted by their mutual friend, Arthur Landon, and cut off contact when he realised she was a journalist. "That was that," he said.
The court previously heard that Charlotte had socialised in some of the same social circles as the Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex. In her witness statement earlier this month, she said: "I draw a line between my professional and own personal social life, as compared to my attending events as a journalist."
Ms Griffiths also told the court she interacted socially with Harry a few times, including one occasion when the two of them attended the party where Harry allegedly stayed up all night before having to attend an event related to Trooping the Colour the next morning.
What do the text messages say?
Harry's first text message, dated 4 December 2011, read: "It’s H,incase u were confused by name and picture!!! X"
Charlotte, who was at the time the deputy diary editor at the paper, addressed him as "Mr Mischief" in response. "What a fun weekend of naughtiness – can’t we all get up to no good in the countryside every weeked damn it?? Smooches," she wrote.
© Getty ImagesHarry's following text messages read: "What a crowd. Never laughed so much in 24hrs!! Mr mischief? How do I get that title ... l was surely no worse than anyone else!!" and lamented he'd had to "make polite conversation with strange people at a dinner last night.begging them for money for charity! Really fun.not."
In January 2012, the two texted about a party at "Arthur's" – their mutual friend – that Harry had not been able to attend. He said: "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."
What is Harry's case against the Daily Mail?
The Duke of Sussex, Sir Elton John and Baroness Doreen Lawrence are part of a group bringing legal action against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over allegations of unlawful information gathering, also including landline tapping and obtaining information through deception.
© Getty ImagesANL has strongly denied wrongdoing and is defending the claims brought by the group which also includes David Furnish, Liz Hurley, Sadie Frost and Sir Simon Hughes.
Last Friday, lawyers for the group said the High Court should make a "substantial award of damages" to them.
The Duke of Sussex attended the first days of the trial in January, during which he gave evidence, at one point telling the court that the publisher had made his wife, Meghan Markle's life, an "absolute misery". In his 23-page witness statement, he said the case felt like a "recurring traumatic experience".
A written judgment is expected at a later date.
