PRINCE SLAMS PAPERS & GOVT

Royal quizzed on phone claims

PRINCE Harry yesterday took the stand in his High Court battle over claims of unlawful information gathering by Mirror journalists.

The Duke was questioned for nearly five hours on the detail of about 20 of the articles he alleges contained information which was not gained lawfully.

He had written a 49-page witness statement, on which he was cross-examined by Andrew Green KC for MGN.

During one exchange when asked whose phone he thought had been listened to he replied, "I'm not sure," leading Mr Green to ask if he was "in the realms of total speculation".

Harry arrived at the Rolls Building in Central London at 9.36am in a black Range Rover. He was wearing a black suit. He walked in without answering reporters' questions.

At one stage the Duke described the state of the press and the Government as both being at "rock bottom", with No10 having "no appetite" for press regulation. 

The articles were addressed one by one. The royal was asked about an article headlined "Snap: Harry breaks thumb like William" which appeared in the Daily Mirror in November 2000.

Harry admitted he was not aware the information had been reported by the Press Association the day before.

The Duke claimed he believed details obtained unlawfully included a paragraph stating doctors had told him he could not play football for weeks.

Asked whose phone it could have come from, Harry replied: "The doctor's? I am not sure." Mr Green asked: "Are you not in the realms of total speculation?" Harry replied: "No, I do not believe so."

Mr Green mentioned an article published in December 2003 about a possible meeting between him, Prince William and their mother Diana's former butler Paul Burrell.

The Duke is said to have called Mr Burrell a "two-faced s**t" in a voicemail to his brother.

Court 15.. scene of rare royal testimony