Kate Middleton's phone hacked 155 times

The former royal editor of the News of the World tabloid admitted to hacking the phones of Britain’s Prince William, his wife Catherine and brother Prince Harry dozens of times.

Former royal editor Clive Goodman illegally listened to the voicemails of the then-Kate Middleton 155 times, William 35 times and Prince Harry nine times, the jury in the ongoing phone-hacking trial in the UK was told on Wednesday.

The trial over phone-hacking had already heard that Goodman had targeted the royal trio but it was the first time the full extent of the hacking had emerged.

Goodman said he first hacked Middleton on Dec 21, 2005, and again on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day that same year. 

He revealed his first hack of Prince William's phone happened at the end of January 2006. 

"Nobody asked me before"

Goodman (above, leaving the Old Bailey courthouse in London) said police and prosecutors had not asked him about hacking William, Kate and Harry since he was arrested in 2006 on related charges. 

“I have been as open and honest about hacking as I can be but nobody has asked me any questions about this before,” Goodman said.

The trial, which started last October and is expected to finish in June, has already heard that William referred to Kate as “babykins” in one message. In another he put on a high-pitched voice and pretended to be his “ginger” brother Harry’s then-girlfriend Chelsea Davy. 

News of the World owner Rupert Murdoch shut down the Sunday tabloid in disgrace in 2011. 

Sources: AFP, The Guardian

Photo: Reuters