Prince Harry's barrister has told the High Court that private information about the Duke of Sussex's romance with Chelsy Davy was allegedly unlawfully gathered by the Mail on Sunday.
David Sherborne alleged on Tuesday that a January 2010 article contained highly specific details, including “their sleeping arrangements” and the fact that he had provided his then-partner with a “set of keys” to his residence.
The duke maintains his position is "absolutely firm" that such intimate knowledge could only have come from someone in their close circle who "would not possibly have betrayed their confidence", according to Mr Sherborne.
Associated Newspapers Limited, the publisher, has strongly rejected what it describes as "preposterous allegations", insisting its journalists operated legitimately.
Chelsy Davy ‘sleeping arrangements’ with Prince Harry obtained unlawfully, lawyers claim
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The article in question reportedly contained "granular detail" about the couple's plans and Harry's personal habits, Mr Sherborne told the court.
A man called Garth Gibbs, who has since died, is alleged to have supplied the "minute details" about the relationship.
However, Mr Sherborne dismissed this explanation in court as "utterly implausible", noting that the South African-born Mr Gibbs was neither a Royal Family member nor a well-connected socialite.
Instead, the barrister described Mr Gibbs as a man living in semi-retirement on the Isle of Wight, alone apart from his cat, Lord Kismul of Barra, known as Kizzy. Mr Gibbs died approximately one year after the article appeared.
Chelsy Davy (centre) arriving at St George's Chapel for the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in 2018 | PAANL's legal representative, Antony White KC, countered that disclosures about Harry's private affairs to journalists were "a not uncommon occurrence".
In written submissions, Mr White argued that the celebrity claimants moved in "leaky" social circles where friends, acquaintances and associates "did regularly provide information to the press about the claimants' private lives, for obvious reasons on a confidential basis".
The publisher states that it contends it received the information from Mr Gibbs via a South African contact who was "good friends" with Ms Davy and connected to her on Facebook.
Mr White told the court that ANL's journalists have presented a "compelling account of a pattern of legitimate sourcing of articles" through numerous witnesses. However, he acknowledged that the explanation does not cover every detail perfectly.
Prince Harry with his former girlfriend Chelsy Davy in 2006 | PALATEST ROYAL NEWS:
Chelsy Davy, Zara Tindall and Princess Kate pictured in 2006 | PAThe Duke of Sussex is among seven high-profile figures bringing legal action against ANL over alleged unlawful information gathering, alongside Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sir Simon Hughes, Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley.
ANL is defending the claims on both merit and limitation grounds, having provided explanations through multiple witnesses regarding the sourcing of more than 50 articles allegedly produced through improper methods.
Mr Sherborne summarised Harry's written evidence as detailing the "distress" and "paranoia" the coverage had caused him.
The Zimbabwean-born Ms Davy and Harry were together for roughly seven years, maintaining a long-distance relationship whilst he served in the Army and she studied in South Africa.
Following their final separation around 2011, they remained on friendly terms, with Ms Davy attending his 2018 wedding to Meghan Markle.