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PRINCE Harry today revealed he feared he'd be "ousted from the Royals" over rumours Major James Hewitt was his dad.

The Duke of Sussex, 38, has so far made a series of shock claims after taking to the stand in the phone hacking trial against the Mirror Group papers.

Prince Harry has made a series of shock claims after taking to the stand today
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Prince Harry has made a series of shock claims after taking to the stand todayCredit: Reuters
Prince Harry was warned not to speak to anyone about his evidence tonight
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Prince Harry was warned not to speak to anyone about his evidence tonightCredit: Andrew Parsons / Parsons Media
Prince Harry left the High Court escorted by security
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Prince Harry left the High Court escorted by securityCredit: AP
He carried court documents with him as he exited the courthouse
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He carried court documents with him as he exited the courthouseCredit: AP
Major James Hewitt, a friend of Diana's, in 1996. Prince Harry says he feared he'd be 'ousted' by the Royal Family as a result of rumours
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Major James Hewitt, a friend of Diana's, in 1996. Prince Harry says he feared he'd be 'ousted' by the Royal Family as a result of rumoursCredit: PA:Press Association

In cross-examination, which lasted six hours, the fifth-in-line to the throne offered intimate insights into his life during his teens and 20s.

They include that he struggled at school, was afraid he'd be kicked out of Eton and felt his relationship with ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy was "doomed".

As the grilling drew to a close the judge told Prince Harry he cannot discuss his evidence with anyone overnight.

The Prince joked: "Not my children, my lord? I may well be Facetiming them."

Read More On Prince Harry

He has now been pictured leaving the court house - but will return to continue giving evidence tomorrow.

In his submission, Prince Harry revealed he feared rumours his biological father was James Hewitt could see him "ousted" from his family.

'HURTFUL, MEAN AND CRUEL'

He hadn't realised until he was 30 years old that Major Hewitt only met Princess Diana after Prince Harry was born.

He added: "At the time, I wasn’t actually aware that my mother hadn’t met Major Hewitt until after I was born. This timeline is something I only learnt of in around 2014."

He added the rumours were "very damaging and very real to me".

"They were hurtful, mean and cruel," he said.

He said he feared they would put "doubt in the minds of the public so I might be ousted from the Royal Family".

Elsewhere during the trial, a softly spoken Prince Harry revealed he struggled at school.

He said he was labelled "the ‘thicko’, the ‘cheat’, the ‘underage drinker’, the '‘irresponsible drug taker'" during his teenage years.

He added: "I thought that… I may as well ‘do the crime’, so to speak."

He went on to explain he was afraid he would be expelled from Eton over claims he was taking drugs.

He added: "Eton had a zero drugs policy in place, and I was extremely worried I was going to be expelled."

He then launched an attack on the government, claiming it was at "rock bottom".

He added: "Democracy fails when the government is not held accountable."

Prince Harry's trial has heard so far:

  • The Duke of Sussex claimed he 'played into' the role of 'thicko'
  • Harry claimed his phone may have been hacked in 1996 - but didn't have a mobile phone at the time, the High Court heard
  • He said he felt like his relationship with Chelsy - who he dated between 2004 and 2011 - was 'doomed'
  • Harry revealed he had been 'immature' and made a 'stupid decision' after flirting with a brunette at a party in 2005 while dating Chelsy
  • King Charles' son felt rumours that his biological father was James Hewitt were 'very real' and left him feeling he 'might be ousted from the Royal Family'
  • The duke admitted to calling his mother's former butler Paul Burrell a 'two-faced s***' in 2003
  • Harry said the stories had an effect on his mother, Princess Diana, and "her reaction to me as her son"

The Duke of Sussex has also claimed phone hacking was used to find out how he had celebrated his 18th birthday - but the court heard it was in fact information he had already revealed himself in a public interview.

An article called No Eton Trifles for Harry used quotes taken from an interview Prince Harry gave to the Press Association (PA).

It revealed he was given a gift of golf clubs from his uncle Earl Spencer and would have a "quiet day at home with my father, my brother, and my family";.

Andrew Green KC told the court that these details were actually said by Prince Harry himself in the PA interview. 

Mr Green told the court: "The private information about which you complain in the Daily Mirror article had been revealed by you in an interview and published in many Sunday newspapers." 

When questioned, Harry added: "The timing is suspicious." 

During the cross-examination, Prince Harry repeatedly told Mr Green "I don't know".

Several times, he suggested asking the reporters involved in the stories, rather than him.

In return, Mr Green suggests Prince Harry is "speculating" when he says stories were written after his phone was hacked.

When asked about an article about becoming a godfather for his former nanny Tiggy's brother's son, Harry said: "It's not particularly enjoyable to have to go through this process all over again."

Another article 'Harry to lead cadet's march' was revealed the day before by the Press Association after the information was put into the public domain by St James's Palace, Mr Green told the court. 

Prince Harry admitted that he had not been aware of the PA story and still maintained that the article was "suspicious" due to the "illegal activity that was happening behind that". 

HARRY'S MOBILE PHONE

Prince Harry's timeline has also been questioned after it was revealed he didn't own a mobile phone in 1996.

Mr Green said his phone couldn't have been hacked at the time one of the articles was published, when Prince Harry was 12 years old.

He said Prince Harry was first handed a mobile phone when he went to Eton in 1998, but the article titled "Diana so sad on Harry's big day" reveals details of a visit Diana made to his school on Harry's 12th birthday in 1996.

Prince Harry said he can't remember for sure whether he had a mobile at the time because it was "years ago".

Mr Green said Prince Harry didn't have a mobile at the time so it couldn't have been hacked.

But Prince Harry said his mother Princess Diana called him using a landline phone. 

Harry said he and his brother Prince William would use a landline phone in a room at to call his mother Princess Diana on Sunday night "in tears" after she dropped the two boys off at the boarding school. 

In a brief moment of levity Harry joked "it's like we're doing a workout" when asked by Mr Green to move between the heavy court bundles containing the documents of his case. 

The "Diana so sad" piece also revealed Harry was taking the royal divorce "badly" - a fact Mr Green pointed out had already been said by Princess Diana herself to the Press Association months previously. 

Elsewhere, Prince Harry said he felt like his relationship with then-girlfriend Chelsy was "doomed" during the 2007 coverage of their relationship.

I was extremely worried I was going to be expelled

Prince Harry

Harry revealed he had been "immature" and made a "stupid decision" after it was reported he had been flirting with a brunette at a party in 2005.

The added that he also promised Chelsy in 2006 that he was not given a lap dance at the Spearmint Rhino club.

And he admitted calling his mother's former butler, Paul Burrell, a "two faced s***" in 2003.

He said: "I also would have used the phrase 'two-face s***', as is reported."

In court he added: "That is the terminology I would use. I don't specifically remember leaving a voicemail saying that because of the time that's passed."

The prince had "very strong feelings" about how indiscreet Mr Burrell was after Princess Diana's death, according to his witness statement.

Mr Green pointed out Prince Harry wrote in his autobiography Spare he wanted to meet Mr Burrell to hold him accountable.

He wrote: "We welcomed such a meeting. To one newspaper he vowed he'd love to give us a piece of his mind. I waited anxiously for the meeting. It didn't happen. I told myself shame."

But in his witness statement he claimed he never wanted to see him again.

He wrote: "I had made up my mind about the kind of person I thought Paul was and was firmly against meeting him at this point in my life."

In court he added: "I can't remember whether I wanted a meeting with him or not."

Prince Harry gave evidence today after flying in from LA for the trial as part of the action against the Mirror Group papers.

He only left the US on Sunday night after marking his daughter Lilibet's second birthday.

His missing the first day sparked Justice Fancourt to say he was surprised Harry was not in court on stand-by for the witness box.

Today Harry became the first royal questioned in a UK courtroom for 130 years.

The last senior royal to be cross-examined in court was the future King Edward VII in 1891, in what became known as the royal baccarat scandal.

An “extremely nervous” Prince Edward was forced to give evidence in a slander case after arguing with his friend in 1890.

And Prince Harry is the first senior royal to be involved in court proceedings since 2002, when the Princess Royal pleaded guilty to a charge under the Dangerous Dogs Act after her pet bit two children in Windsor Great Park.

'RATHER FANTASTICAL'

Cross-examination — which could tackle stories of his drug use and relationship with ex Chelsy — is expected to last up to two days after the judge granted barristers more time to grill him under oath.

It means Harry will be in the UK longer than for the coronation.

Last month he spent 28 hours here before flying back to California for son Archie’s fourth birthday.

Mr Sherborne had said unlawful activities were “habitual and widespread” at MGN between 1996 and 2011.

He claimed there was no time in Harry’s life when he was safe from phone hacking and blagging.

But Mr Green called Harry’s claims “rather fantastical”.

He said: “There’s no evidence capable of finding that the duke was ever hacked let alone hacked on a habitual basis.”

Several high-profile figures, including Harry, are bringing damages claims against MGN over alleged unlawful information gathering at its titles.

READ MORE SUN STORIES

Harry alleges that about 140 articles published between 1996 and 2010 contained information gathered using unlawful methods, and 33 of these have been selected to be considered at the trial.

The publisher has apologised unreservedly to Prince Harry for unlawfully gathering information about him but denies phone hacking.

Prince Harry 'didn't own a phone' when he claims he was hacked

PRINCE Harry's claims have been called into question as it was revealed he didn't have a phone at the time he says it was hacked.

Andrew Green KC said his phone couldn't have been hacked at the time one of the articles was published, when Prince Harry was 12 years old.

He said Prince Harry was first handed a mobile phone when he went to Eton in 1998, but the article titled "Diana so sad on Harry's big day" reveals details of a visit Diana made to his school on Harry's 12th birthday in 1996.

Prince Harry said he can't remember for sure whether he had a mobile at the time because it was "years ago".

Mr Green said Prince Harry didn't have a mobile at the time so it couldn't have been hacked.

But Prince Harry said his mother Princess Diana called him using a landline phone. 

Harry said he and his brother Prince William would use a landline phone in a room at to call his mother Princess Diana on Sunday night "in tears" after she dropped the two boys off at the boarding school. 

In a brief moment of levity Harry joked "it's like we're doing a workout" when asked by Andrew Green KC to move between the heavy court bundles containing the documents of his case. 

The "Diana so sad" piece also revealed Harry was taking the royal divorce "badly" - a fact Andrew Green KC pointed out had already been said by Princess Diana herself to the Press Association months previously. 

He looked solemn as he got out of a black Range Rover this morning
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He looked solemn as he got out of a black Range Rover this morningCredit: Reuters
Prince Harry exited a black Range Rover
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Prince Harry exited a black Range RoverCredit: AP
The duke wore freshly shined shoes for the occasion
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The duke wore freshly shined shoes for the occasionCredit: Getty
Justice Fancourt yesterday told the High Court he was surprised Harry was not in court on stand-by for the witness box
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Justice Fancourt yesterday told the High Court he was surprised Harry was not in court on stand-by for the witness boxCredit: PA
Harry’s barrister David Sherborne, claimed his client was in a 'different category'
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Harry’s barrister David Sherborne, claimed his client was in a 'different category'Credit: PA
Prince Harry dated Chelsy Davy from 2004 to 2011
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Prince Harry dated Chelsy Davy from 2004 to 2011Credit: Reuters
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