Harry's art teacher fights Eton sacking

Last updated at 08:47 09 May 2005


An employment tribunal involving Prince Harry's former art teacher, who claims to have evidence incriminating him in exam cheating, is getting under way.

Sarah Forsyth, 30, is appealing against her alleged unfair sacking from the prestigious Eton College, Windsor, Berkshire, at a tribunal in Reading.

In a preliminary hearing last year, her barrister claimed that the school's continued failure to act on her complaints of harassment prompted her to record secretly a conversation with her royal pupil.

Her barrister, Robin Allen QC, said that Ms Forsyth, of London, decided to obtain evidence of "cheating" involving Ian Burke, the school's head of art, against whom her allegations were

directed.

Miss Forsyth said it had proved difficult to talk to Prince Harry because he was always closely guarded by his bodyguards.

But on May 16 2003, as Harry made his way to his A-level exam, she seized her opportunity, calling him into her room and secretly recording a conversation in which she claims he said of his AS-level project the year before: "I did about a sentence of it." This quote was read to the tribunal panel by Mr Allen.

Transcript

However, in a transcript released by Eton later the wording differed, with Prince Harry apparently saying: "I was, like, a sentence in it."

The hearing was told that Miss Forsyth claimed Mr Burke had instructed her to carry out work for Harry's AS-level project. She claims to have been told to write text to accompany pieces submitted in Harry's "expressive" project.

A spokesman for the Prince of Wales has denied that Prince Harry cheated and stressed that an independent investigation into the matter had dismissed the allegations as unfounded.

Harry achieved a Grade B for art and a D for geography after sitting his A-Levels in the summer of 2003.

He took up his place at Sandhurst on Sunday, starting life as a career soldier.

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