Prince Harry questions how ‘20 paps’ found him and ex Chelsy Davy on ‘secret’ romantic trip

During his explosive testimony, Prince Harry has questioned how up to 20 paparazzi found him and ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy while they were on a “secret” trip.

Prince Harry has revealed he went on a “secret” trip to a remote farm in Argentina with his ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy, and was ambushed by up to “20 paparazzi”.

During the second day of his testimony as part of his case against Mirror Newspaper Group (MGN), which is being heard in London’s High Court, Harry accused tabloid journalists of hacking the phone of Ms Davy while she was planning to surprise him during his gap year in Argentina in 2004.

The couple were newly dating at the time, with Ms Davy’s identity yet to be aired on a global scale.

“All I can remember is within 24 hours of getting to the remote polo farm I was surprised Chelsy was there,” Harry said in the witness box.

“My friend Mark Dyer had organised it. The farm itself, the ranch, within 24 hours was besieged by approximately 15 to 20 paparazzi and obviously Marko and Chelsy had planned the trip secretly together using their mobile phones.”

Harry and Chelsy Davy dated for five years from 2004.

Harry is bringing forward more than 148 articles which he alleges were obtained via criminal activity.

In the article in question from their private trip in Argentina together, which was published in the Daily Mirror in November 2004, it identified Ms Davy as the “pretty blonde” with whom it had previously been speculated Harry was holidaying with.

Harry says the story contained private information about Ms Davy, their location and their blossoming relationship, which he has “no idea” how journalists managed to uncover.

MGN lawyer Andrew Green argued it was already public knowledge that Harry was dating a “mystery blonde”, and the paparazzi showing up was an “inevitable consequence” that the media would work “to try and discover her identity”.

Mr Green then produced an internal MGN document which detailed that one of its journalists was “working on finding out the identity” of Harry’s new love interest at the time, with the assistance of a freelancer.

“What this shows is that locals in Argentina were telling the press that the name of this young woman was Chelsy or Kelsey,” Mr Green asked Harry.

“It also shows that this individual was relying on [a freelancer] to find out what he can on this girl,” Harry pointed out.

The Duke gives a thumbs up as he leaves after giving evidence at the Mirror Group Phone hacking trial. Picture: Carl Court/Getty Images

The Duke of Sussex, who is the first royal to testify in court in 130 years, blamed press intrusion for Ms Davy’s decision that “a royal life was not for her”, and became determined to ensure the same situation didn’t happen with his wife, Meghan Markle, whom he married in 2018.

Harry is accusing journalists from MGN newspapers The Daily Mirror, The Sunday Mirror and The Sunday People of using illegal methods during multiple periods between 1996 and 2011.

During Harry’s examination on Wednesday, which marked his last day in the witness stand, the judge presiding on the case, Mr Justice Fancourt, asked him about “unusual activity” the prince had noticed on his phone during the aforementioned time period.

“From the moment I had a mobile phone, my lord,” Harry began.

“I remember a lot of missed calls that lasted one second and I remember a lot of people asking me ‘did you get my voicemail’ and stuff like that but I do not remember how consistent it was.

“But I remember when I was told that this was all hacking, it all made sense.”

Harry blamed the press for Ms Davy’s decision that royal life wasn’t for her.

Harry is among more than 100 claimants in the case, including singer Cheryl Cole, former footballer Ian Wright, actor Ricky Tomlinson and the estate of George Michael, though Harry is one of only four who will have their specific, “representative” claims heard.

The other three are Michael Turner and Nikki Sanderson, both actors, and Fiona Wightman, who is the ex-wife of comedian Paul Whitehouse.

The lawyer representing MGN, Andrew Green, told Harry he was in the real of “total speculation” on Wednesday, insisting the Duke had no actual evidence the articles he had cited as products of unlawful information gathering were sourced via phone hacking.

“I entirely disagree,” Harry responded.

MGN denies unlawful activity in the case.