During his appearance in the High Court in London on Tuesday, Prince Harry finally addressed the lingering rumors surrounding his biological father, King Charles III. Expressing his concerns, the Duke of Sussex revealed his fears that journalists were trying to alienate him from the Royal Family.
Prince Harry’s visit to the UK was primarily for the purpose of giving evidence in his case against MGN, which involves allegations of illegal information-gathering techniques used in the past. One article in particular under review focused on rumors suggesting Major James Hewitt, who was allegedly involved in an affair with Princess Diana, may in fact be Prince Harry’s biological father.
In a witness statement obtained by Newsweek, the youngest son of King Charles spoke out, saying: “This article, written by Dean Rousewell and published on page 4 of The People, details a plot to obtain a sample of my DNA in order to test my parentage.”
“Numerous newspapers had spread the rumor that Major James Hewitt was my biological father – a man with whom my mother had a relationship after I was born. At the time of these and similar articles, I was unaware that my mother hadn’t even met Major Hewitt until I was born.”
“This revelation only came to my knowledge around 2014, although I understand now that it was already common knowledge among the defendant’s journalists. At that time, I was only 18, having lost my mother just six years ago, and stories like these felt incredibly damaging and terribly real.”
“They were hurtful, malicious and cruel. They left me wondering about the motives behind such stories. Did the newspapers deliberately sow doubt in the minds of the public to potentially force me out of the royal family? ”
The uncertainty surrounding Prince Harry’s true parentage was dispelled when he turned 30, two years before he met his wife, Meghan Markle, and a year after the birth of Prince George, the son of Kate Middleton and the Prince William.
Prince Harry’s case also highlights a second article published in the Mirror, titled ‘Plot to steal Harry’s DNA’, which was published on December 16, 2002.
In his witness statement, Harry pointed out: “This article has looked at the financial incentives associated with obtaining my DNA and selling it to a foreign newspaper.”
“He reported that officials at St James’s Palace believed my DNA could fetch ‘tens of thousands of pounds’ if offered to foreign publication,” he added.
Continuing his testimony, the prince remarked: “Once again, I find it unlikely that this information was leaked by anyone in the palace, given the security risks involved.”
“The article also suggested that Spain was a likely location for the supposed ‘honey trap’. However, I am unsure of the source of this information provided to the reporter by the [Mirror Group].”
Prince Harry went on to describe an anecdote shared by his father, Prince Charles, who often recounted an encounter with a patient at Broadmoor Psychiatric Hospital claiming to be the Prince of Wales. “Who knows if I am really the Prince of Wales? Who knows if I’m even your real father? Maybe your real father is in Broadmoor, darling! Prince Charles was joking.
Reflecting on this, Prince Harry wrote: “He was laughing and laughing, although it was a remarkably unfunny joke, especially given the rumors circulating at the time suggesting that my real father was one of my mother’s former lovers, Major James Hewitt.”
“One of the reasons fueling this rumor was Major Hewitt’s striking red hair, but, sadistically, tabloid readers found delight in the thought that Prince Charles’ youngest child might not be his biological child. For some inexplicable reason, they couldn’t understand enough of this “joke”. Maybe it made them feel
