Prince Harry's Private Messages Ignite Buzz over 'Movie Snuggles' Texts with a Journalist Years Ago

Old exchanges involving Prince Harry and a young female journalist have resurfaced, drawing attention online over their notably flirtatious tone.

Prince Harry allegedly exchanged a series of Facebook messages with a journalist over several weeks before realizing she was a reporter. Details of these exchanges have been revealed during the closing stages of his privacy case.

Flirty Messages from Prince Harry's past Resurface

Documents recently circulated online show Harry and Charlotte Griffiths exchanging a series of personal messages between December 2011 and January 2012.

One message, allegedly sent by Harry on December 4, 2011, read, "It's H, incase u were confused by name and picture!!! X [sic]." Charlotte replied the next day, writing, "Hello Mr Mischief . . . What a fun weekend of naughtiness — can't we all get up to no good in the countryside every weekend, damn it?? Smooches, CG String."

Harry later shared that he had thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and the company, adding, "Never laughed so much in 24hrs!! Mr mischief? How do I get that title... I was surely no worse than anyone else."

On December 5, 2011, Charlotte responded by clarifying that the nickname "Mr Mischief" was meant as a compliment. She noted that no one had behaved worse than the others and that their shared mischief was what made the weekend so memorable.

On December 14, 2011, Charlotte sent another message to Harry that referenced "Skippy," a nickname for Tom Inskip, one of Harry's closest friends. She joked that Harry's "Skippy surfing" had eclipsed any scandal from the weekend. She ended by asking about possible "Thirsty Thursday" plans.

Harry replied the following day, explaining he had a busy schedule and was hosting friends. However, he added that she had missed a lively gathering at the Skippy surfing event, signing off with "Mwah xxx."

In a message dated January 22, 2012, Charlotte appeared to tell Harry they had missed him at a mutual friend's home the week before. She also mentioned that she was in Klosters attending a snow polo match in support of his Sentebale charity.

He allegedly replied, "I wish I was [sic] there, sugar, but unfortunately stuck in Cornwall doing Army stuff." Harry added that he was pleased the event had raised significant funds and joked about drinking her under the table. He concluded, "Hope you're really well, Griff . . . Miss our movie snuggles!!"

Prince Harry Claims He Didn't Know Her True Identity

These exchanges emerged during the closing phase of Harry's privacy case against Associated Newspapers, which publishes the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.

Harry, alongside other high-profile figures including Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, alleges the publisher engaged in unlawful methods to obtain private information — claims the company denies. Testimony in the case concluded on March 31.

During proceedings at the High Court, Harry maintained that he did not have friendships with journalists and insisted that none of his close circle would have shared information with the press.

He said he met Charlotte only once during a weekend gathering and was unaware at the time that she was a journalist. Charlotte joined the Mail on Sunday in 2008, later serving as diary editor from 2013 to 2020 before becoming editor-at-large.

Harry stated that upon learning of her professional role, he confronted a friend who had hosted one of the gatherings where they met and subsequently cut off contact with her.

Hence, since he doesn't maintain friendships with journalists, Harry argued that several articles published by the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday could only have resulted from unlawful information-gathering practices.

Conflicting Accounts Add to the Intrigue

For her part, Charlotte said she first met Harry at a 2011 country house party hosted by Arthur Landon, a longtime friend of the prince. Harry disputed aspects of her account, stating, "The only time I have been to Ibiza is with my wife and son." He and Meghan Markle visited Ibiza in 2019 with their son, Prince Archie.

Harry also told the court he did not use the Facebook identity "Mr Mischief." Charlotte clarified in her evidence, "I have never said that he used the name Mr Mischief."

Antony White, representing Associated Newspapers, acknowledged that he had mistakenly suggested "Mr Mischief" was Harry's chosen name. He explained it was instead a nickname Charlotte used for him.

Over the course of the 11-week trial, the claimants' lawyer, David Sherborne, argued that numerous stories about Harry and others could only have been obtained through illegal means.

They noted that the practices, such as hacking voicemail messages, bugging ​landlines, and obtaining private information by deception, have been used for more than ⁠two decades since the early 1990s.

A final decision from Judge Matthew Nicklin is expected at a later date. Matthew stated, "Judgment will take some time. After a short break over Easter ... I will be working ⁠on the ​case and the judgment effectively full-time ... ​so I won't be doing anything else ... and I will be toiling away on ​the judgment."

Prince Harry Doubles Down on His Fight for Privacy

Harry has long spoken about the importance of privacy and his right to it, despite living in the public eye. He has previously said his complicated relationship with privacy began at birth, simply because he was born into the royal family.

In a recent keynote address at the IAPP Global Privacy Summit, Harry discussed the growing significance of digital privacy in an increasingly connected world. He emphasized that privacy is essential in building trust, safety, and stability in society.

Harry noted that getting it right could have far-reaching global consequences. During his remarks, he also pointed to his ongoing legal battles with media organizations over what he views as invasions of privacy.

The 41-year-old criticized parts of the press for acting as though they own people's private lives and for deciding what qualifies as public interest. He argued that such practices should not be normalized.

Harry added that pursuing these cases against media houses brings him no personal gain, instead carrying both personal and reputational costs for him, Meghan Markle, and their children.

Still, he maintained that the fight is worth it, as he sees it as part of a broader effort to challenge a system that shapes how privacy is treated in modern society.

Prince Harry remains determined to pursue this goal, regardless of what details about his personal life may surface, as he believes it goes beyond his own situation. He has framed it as a broader fight intended to benefit others as well.