Phone hacking trial: Prince Harry dismisses James Hewitt rumors
What's the story
Prince Harry made history as the first Royal Family member to testify in court in 130 years.
Taking the witness stand on Tuesday at London's High Court, he confronted Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) in a legal battle.
During his testimony, Harry criticized Daily Mirror and its then-editor, Piers Morgan for publishing numerous articles alleging James Hewitt was his real father, not King Charles III.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Speculations regarding Harry's parentage have run wild for years.
For those unaware, Hewitt was Princess Diana's riding instructor, with whom she allegedly had an affair later.
In 2017, Hewitt refuted the rumors of him being Harry's father, stating, "[The rumors] sell papers. It's probably worse for [Harry]."
Coming to the ongoing case, Harry, along with many other celebrities, has accused MGN of privacy breaches.
Statement
Harry tagged 'Daily Mirror' articles as 'horrific personal attacks'
During the defense team's five-hour-long grilling, Harry referred to a 2002 article, Plot to Rob the DNA of Harry, which fueled the widespread speculation about King Charles III not being his biological father.
Calling it a "horrific personal attack," Harry asked, "Were the newspapers keen to put doubt into the minds of the public so that I might be ousted from the Royal Family?"
Claims
UK government, the media reached 'rock bottom,' claimed Harry
In his extensive 55-page witness testimony, Prince Harry described the state of both the UK government and media as being at "rock bottom."
"How much more blood will stain their typing fingers before someone can put a stop to this madness?"
Additionally, Harry alluded to the possibility that certain journalists bore responsibility for his mother's tragic death in an accident.
Details
Harry slammed the article's writer, Dean Rousewell, too
Harry accused the writer of the aforementioned article, Dean Rousewell of having a longstanding history of using "unlawful information-gathering techniques" in his testimony.
Harry claimed that Rousewell also wrote a story about a supposed "plot to steal the duke's hair for paternity testing," reportedly.
The prince alleged that Rousewell pursued this story despite allegedly being aware that Hewitt could not have been Harry's father.
References
'They never got tired of that joke'
This is not the first time Harry has addressed the rumor surrounding his parentage.
Earlier this year, Harry wrote in his memoir Spare that "Tabloid readers loved the idea that Prince Charles's youngest son was not Prince Charles's son. They never got tired of that 'joke.'"
He also mentioned that his mother hadn't met Hewitt "until long after I was born."