Prince Harry blames press intrusion for Chelsy Davy split

The Duke of Sussex has claimed that alleged press intrusions into his personal life led to his break-up with former girlfriend Chelsy Davy.

Prince Harry has claimed that alleged press intrusions into his personal life are behind his break-up with Chelsy Davy.

The Duke of Sussex’s claim was revealed in a lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) brought on by Harry and several other high-profile figures, as reported by the BBC.

In the suit, they have accused MGN of intercepting private voicemails – an allegation the company has denied.

In his witness statement, Prince Harry claimed through his lawyers that repeated harassment “caused great challenges” in his relationship with Ms Davy which led to her deciding “royal life was not for her”.

Prince Harry and then-girlfriend Chelsy Davy at a rugby match in 2008. Picture: Chris Ratcliffe/AFP

Harry has claimed press intrusion led to the breakdown of their relationship. Picture: Jewel Samad/AFP

Harry said alleged unlawful activities caused “a great deal of distress” and “presented very real safety concerns, not only for me but for everyone around me”. He added that the press created “an enormous amount of paranoia” in his future relationships.

“Every time he was in a relationship, or even an alleged relationship, that person’s entire family and often their friends were ‘dragged into the mess’ and were the subject of unlawful activity on the part of MGN,” his lawyers claimed.

In the statement, Harry also claimed journalists booked into the same hotel in Mozambique, where he and Ms Davy – who was born Zimbabwe – were trying to “enjoy some peace and quiet”.

Chelsy Davy dated Prince Harry on and off from 2004 to 2010. Picture: AFP

The couple had a long-distance relationship. Picture: Ben Stansall/Getty

It was also claimed that mobile phone data set to be used in the trial shows that Ms Davy’s voicemails were intercepted between 2007 and 2009.

Prince Harry is expected to give evidence in June to a High Court in London, where he is to allege that 30 people from his inner circle who he had different communications with were unwittingly the target of the voicemail interception.

His lawyers claim Prince Harry’s mobile phone number was recorded on a handheld device owned by then-Sunday Mirror news boss Nick Buckley.

Prince Harry’s expected court appearance will mark the first time a senior royal will be a witness in a High Court in modern times.

Ms Davy and Prince Harry dated on and off for six years, between 2004 and 2010. For the most part, the couple were in a long-distance relationship while Harry was training in the British Royal Army and Ms Davy was at university in South Africa.

Harry went on to marry US actress Meghan Markle in 2018 before stepping away from royal life in 2020 to live with in the US with his wife and their two children: Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 1.