Prince Harry was ‘extremely worried’ he would be expelled from Eton, trial hears

Prince Harry revealed today that he was ‘deeply concerned’ about being expelled from Eton College following press reports that he was taking drugs.

The Duke of Sussex spent five years at the prestigious Berkshire school from 1998 to 2003 and said in High Court evidence that it had a “zero drug policy.”

Harry was referring to an article that appeared on the front page of the Daily Mirror in January 2002 with the headline: ‘Harry’s cocaine ecstasy and GHB parties.’

Harry meets Eton College principal John Lewis when he joins the school in September 1998

Harry is seen in May 2003 in his room at Eton College, where he studied for five years

He claimed the headline was misleading because he “only smoked cannabis,” he allegedly told his father, and made it seem like he was hosting the parties.

Harry said it “wasn’t clear to me” where the journalists got their quotes from, so it made him “wonder afterwards” if they had heard something they didn’t mean to, and because there was “no explanation as to how they got it.” learned’. the information’ and he ‘didn’t know who would have said it’.

Discussing the Mirror article, Harry said in his testimonial: ‘What strikes me about this article when I read it now are the quotes attributed to my father, including that he was ‘worried ill’ and ‘greatly relieved’ when I told him I had only used cannabis.

“My father has not commented directly to the press, a statement has been made by the palace following the News Of The World story. This was handled internally by a close-knit, small team, so it is not clear to me where the defendant’s journalists could get these quotes from.’

The Duke continued, “This article, along with the News Of The World coverage, had a huge impact on my life. Eton had a zero-drug policy and I was very concerned about being expelled.”

He added: “These articles were also written at a time when there was an agreement between the press and the royal family, after my mother’s death, that my brother and I would be able to pursue our education without constant supervision and scrutiny. interruption.

Prince Harry works in his room at Eton College in May 2003, where he spent five years

Harry sits in his room at Eton College in May 2003, shortly before completing his time there

Harry punches the air in June 2003 as he leaves Eton College on his last day of school

“It seemed to me that nothing was ever let loose in the press coverage of every detail of my childhood, by the defendant’s journalists and others.”

Harry also mentioned Eton when questioned about another Daily Mirror article published in September 1996 entitled ‘Diana so sad on Harry’s big day’.

The court heard that Harry has complained about the article detailing his feelings about his parents’ divorce and the ill health of a family friend.

MGN lawyer Andrew Green KC said the Duke first got a mobile phone when he attended Eton in 1998, telling Harry that the 1996 article was not about phone hacking.

Harry replied, “That’s incorrect. My security at school had a separate room with a landline.’

He said ‘most Sunday evenings’, after being dropped off by his mother ‘the first thing we would do is use the phone to call her… in tears’.

Harry also said it could have been his mother who had been hacked, but Mr Green said these are “just speculations you’ve come up with now.”