The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales (Old Bailey) in London has heard today that former News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman hacked Kate Middleton’s phone 155 times.
The phone-hacking trial was told Clive Goodman first hacked Kate Middleton’s voicemail in December 2005.
Clive Goodman also hacked Prince William 35 times and Prince Harry on nine occasions.
Clive Goodman hacked Kate Middleton’s phone 155 times (photo Getty Images)
This is the first time the jury has heard of a royal’s phone being hacked.
Clive Goodman, who denies conspiring to commit misconduct in public office, previously said he only hacked aides.
He is one of seven defendants, including ex-News of the World editors Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks, on trial at the Old Bailey. They all deny the charges against them.
He returned to the Old Bailey to resume giving evidence after a long period away due to illness.
The court heard how Clive Goodman hacked Kate Middleton on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day in 2005 – more than five years before she married Prince William.
He also hacked her on August 7, 2006, the day before he was arrested over allegations of phone hacking.
Prince William’s voicemail was first intercepted in late January 2006, the court heard.
This was the first time that the jury has heard that a mobile belonging to Prince William was hacked.
Clive Goodman denied he had “forgotten” about targeting the young royals when he said in evidence earlier in the trial that he had only hacked aides working for the royals.
The jury was also told that Clive Goodman hacked Michael Fawcett, a trusted aide of Prince Charles, 35 times.
Clive Goodman had not been in court since the end of March after he was declared unfit to carry on. The trial continued in his absence.
The judge told the jury he had been “ill”, but the court was given a report from an independent medical expert declaring him “now fit” to continue.
He also told the jury that he had “no alternative” but to keep them waiting because medical assessments were continually being submitted.
Clive Goodman will be allowed more time than usual to give the remainder of his evidence because medical experts have advised he may get tired more quickly.
The jury previously heard that the former royal editor of the now-defunct tabloid had undergone a minor heart procedure during the trial.
Clive Goodman, of Addlestone, Surrey, was convicted of phone hacking in 2006.
Appearing on Wednesday in the witness box, with a small bandage over his left hand, he was asked what he knew about phone hacking before January 2005, when he said he had been told about it by a colleague.
Before then, the News of the World colleague had passed pieces of information to Clive Goodman for stories. But the defendant said he never knew where it came from.
Kate Middleton made her last public appearance before the birth of her first child when she joined thousands of well-wishers to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s official birthday at the Trooping the Color parade today.
Wearing a pale pink Alexander McQueen coat and matching hat, the Duchess of Cambridge, who is eight months pregnant, travelled to the pageant in a carriage with the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry.
Kate Middelton smiled and waved at the crowds lining the route as the carriage drove to the televised military spectacle which is held every year at Horse Guards Parade in London’s Whitehall.
But it would appear the chilly weather was a bit too cold for the royal family, and they covered their laps with blue blankets.
Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her birthday with traditional pomp and circumstance – but without her husband by her side.
Prince Philip remains in the hospital, recovering from exploratory abdominal surgery.
Instead the Queen invited her cousin, the Duke of Kent, to join her in her glass coach for the short journey from Buckingham Palace along The Mall.
It is thought to be only the third time that Prince Philip has missed the event after not attending in 1962 and 1968 when he was away on royal tours.
She first took the royal salute in 1951 – when she deputized for her sick father, King George VI – and has continued receiving the mark of respect every year except 1955 when there was a national rail strike.
Kate Middleton made her last public appearance before the birth of her first child when she joined thousands of well-wishers to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s official birthday at the Trooping the Color parade
The Queen, dressed in a royal blue Angela Kelly coat and hat with a matching lace dress, looked on under cloudy skies which parted now and then to reveal the sun.
Other royals watching included the Duke of York and his daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and the Earl and Countess of Wessex with their daughter Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor.
The Queen took the royal salute as members of the royal family looked on.
Taking part in the ceremony on horseback are the Prince Charles – who is Colonel of the Welsh Guards, the Princess Royal – who is Colonel of the Blues and Royals, and Prince William – who is Colonel of the Irish Guards.
More than 1,000 soldiers, horses and musicians are taking part in the parade known as “Trooping the Color”, an annual ceremony marking the queen’s official birthday.
The ceremony is also an important social occasion for the Guardsmen taking part and gives their wives, girlfriends, and relatives the chance to celebrate the achievements of the young men and enjoy the spectacle.
Many of the spectators in the stands overlooking the parade ground were dressed in morning suits or smart suits, while women wore dresses topped with hats and fascinators.
After the parade ended, the Queen was cheered by crowds gathered along the Mall as she was driven back to Buckingham Palace, where she watched an aerial display by the RAF.
Following the parade, the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery fired a 41-gun salute in Green Park to mark the Queen’s official birthday.
The royals then gathered on the balcony at Buckingham Palace to watch the traditional RAF flypast.
Thousands of spectators crowded around the front of the palace and on The Mall, many cheering as a succession of planes roared overhead.
Among the featured 32 aircraft were 13 different types – from the famous Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster aircraft of the RAF Memorial Flight – to modern multi-role Typhoon fighters.
The Red Arrows completed the flypast – leaving a trail of red, white and blue smoke which swept across the sky behind them.
After the splendid ceremony, the Queen paid a visit to her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, who is recovering from exploratory abdominal surgery at a London hospital.
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