Prince Harry has always been under the microscope of the press, and the same goes for anyone associated with him. His relationships have been a topic of intense speculation and scrutiny. This time, Harry's solicitor on Wednesday revealed in court the profound impact that media scrutiny had on his past romance with Chelsy Davy. His solicitor has suggested in court that Harry was ‘deeply upset’ over how his relationship with ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy played out; Davy broke up with him after the press added incredible “stress and strain” on the couple’s relationship.
Prince Harry's new court case against Mirror Group Newspapers and co-claimants
Prince Harry is in the midst of yet another court case. He previously appeared in court to sue The Sun and now-defunct News of the World. Now, he’s suing Mirror Group Newspapers, and his solicitor David Sherborne insinuated in court this week that Harry’s relationship with Davy ended because of the press — not because they fell out of love. In this trial, Harry's co-claimants include familiar faces from the entertainment industry, such as Nikki Sanderson and Michael Turner from "Coronation Street," as well as Fiona Wightman, the former spouse of comedian Paul Whitehouse.
David Sherborne - Mirror Group “caused great challenges in his relationship with his ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy"
According to The Independent, Sherborne said MGN “caused great challenges in his relationship with his ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy and made him fear for his and her safety.” The Independent also reports that court documents from the case claim the press even followed Harry and Davy on vacation while they “tried to escape there and enjoy some peace and quiet.”
The documents say that Harry’s exes, including Davy, were always “dragged into the chaos” and would be “the subject of unlawful activity on the part of MGN.” The press’ activities caused Davy to end the relationship.
{{/usCountry}}The documents say that Harry’s exes, including Davy, were always “dragged into the chaos” and would be “the subject of unlawful activity on the part of MGN.” The press’ activities caused Davy to end the relationship.
{{/usCountry}}Sherborne continued, “Ultimately, MGN’s activities led Ms. Davy to make the decision that ‘a royal life was not for her’, which was incredibly upsetting for Harry at the time.”
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Harry's history of blaming the press for ruining his relationships
But this isn’t the first time Harry has suggested that his past relationships might have worked out differently if the press had not been involved. In his lawsuit against The Sun and News of the World, Harry made statements about how the press had impacted his relationships.
“At no point did I have a girlfriend or a relationship with anyone without the tabloids getting involved and ultimately ruining it, or trying to ruin it, using whatever unlawful means at their disposal,” he said in court back in April, only doubling down on the idea that his relationship with Davy ended due press interference?
A decade of on-off love: The rollercoaster relationship of Prince Harry and Chelsy Davy
Many people might remember Chelsy Davy as the on-and-off flame of Prince Harry, given that the two were together for seven years. They first met back in 2004 while Harry was doing conservation work in Africa (Davy is the daughter of a Zimbabwean billionaire) and hit it off right away. They dated consistently from 2004 to 2009, and though they took time off in 2009, they eventually rekindled the romance.
However, that reunion didn’t last long, and they split again in 2010, only to reconnect once more for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s 2011 wedding. The relationship appeared to have hope, but once again, they ended things shortly after — and never got back together.
Of course, Harry found happiness with Meghan Markle, but the two have faced undeniable struggles of their own relating to the press. In 2021, Meghan received a public apology from Mail on Sunday for leaking a private letter she’d written to her father.