He reportedly received a letter that described the plan in detail and handed it over to authorities. At the time, both Prince Charles and 18-year-old Prince Harry—then in his final year at Eton—were made aware of the situation.

The now-defunct News of the World tabloid was accused of orchestrating the plot, though it firmly denied the allegations. St James’s Palace declined to comment on the reports.

Denials and Outrage

Stuart Kuttner, then managing director of News of the World, vehemently rejected the accusations. “The allegation that we would attempt to obtain a sample of Prince Harry’s hair is utterly preposterous,” he said, according to the BBC.

“We did not do this, never attempted to do this, and it has never crossed our minds to do so,” Kuttner continued. He described the idea as “bonkers” and criticized Peat’s investigation, saying, “If this is the approach Sir Michael Peat is adopting in his investigation into sleaze at the palace, we can only assume he’ll find everyone guilty—regardless of any evidence.”

Earlier that same year, James Hewitt once again denied the persistent paternity rumors. “There really is no possibility whatsoever that I am Harry’s father,” he told The Sunday Mirror. “I can absolutely assure you that I am not.”

Despite countless denials and clear timelines disproving the claim, the conspiracy continues to resurface from time to time—though, as both Harry and Hewitt have made clear, it’s nothing more than fiction fueled by gossip and coincidence.