‘I hacked William, Harry and Kate’ – Clive Goodman

Ms Middleton’s phone was hacked 155 times, the Old Bailey was told, while Prince William‘s voicemail was intercepted on 35 occasions and Prince Harry’s on nine.

Ms Middleton was hacked on Christmas eve, Christmas day and Boxing day in 2005.

Asked why he had not admitted hacking their phones before, Clive Goodman said he had never been asked. Mr Goodman, who was jailed in 2007 for accessing the voicemails of royal aides, denies conspiring to commit misconduct in public office.

He is charged, with former NoW editor Andy Coulson, of authorising illegal payments to public officials.

He was accused in court of being more involved in phone hacking with private detective Glenn Mulcaire in 2005 and 2006 than previously revealed.

‘Much wider scale’

Timothy Langdale QC, who represents Mr Coulson, said: “I’m going to suggest you had direct contact with Glenn Mulcaire significantly before the time you have told us, that you yourself had been hacking on a much wider scale than you have told this court about.”

I was terrified of the whole thing. I was mortified. Clive Goodman

Mr Goodman said he had been assured by the Crown Prosecution Service he would not be charged with any more hacking offences.

When presented with a list of hacking victims, he said: “I’m not on trial for hacking,” adding: “There has been no intention to deceive you or anybody else in relation to phone hacking.”

On his arrest in 2006, Mr Langdale said: “It’s the one thing you must have been more worried about than anything else, that it would become clear you yourself had been hacking members of the royal family.”

Mr Goodman, pictured above, replied: “I was terrified of the whole thing. I was mortified.”

Mr Langdale asked why Ms Middleton – who became the Duchess of Cambridge after marrying Prince William – had been targeted.

He replied: “She was a figure of increasing importance around the royal family. There were discussions about her and Prince William marrying, moving in, settling down. She started to receive semi-royal status and things were moving on.”

‘Nobody asked me’

Mr Goodman said he had never been asked about the hacking of Princes William, Harry and Ms Middleton. Mr Langdale said: “You knew perfectly well you hacked Prince Harry and Prince William, didn’t you?”

He replied: “Nobody asked me.” He added that he and Mr Mulcaire often hacked the same messages.

Mr Goodman, of Addlestone, Surrey, returned to the Old Bailey on Wednesday after an absence due to illness.

He was convicted of phone hacking in 2006, but denies two counts of conspiring with Mr Coulson and others to commit misconduct in public office.

All seven defendants being tried deny the charges against them.