The Prince of Wales sees himself as a "dissident" working against political opinion, a court heard yesterday.

He also knows politicians are worried about his outspoken views, the High Court was told.

The revelations were contained in a witness statement which the prince had originally wanted to keep secret during his court attempt to stop further publication of his private diaries.

Mark Bolland, the prince's assistant private secretary from 1996 to 1997, and deputy private secretary until 2002, is giving evidence for the Mail on Sunday, which is fighting his former boss's confidentiality action.

His witness statement was released for publication after Hugh Tomlinson QC, representing the prince at the High Court, in London, said they would no longer seek to keep it secret.

Mr Bolland, in his witness statement to the court, also backed earlier newspaper reports that the prince did not attend a return state banquet thrown by Chinese President Jiang Zemin "as a deliberate snub" to the Chinese because he did not approve of the Chinese regime.

He said: "Despite our best efforts, he did not always avoid politically contentious issues, if he felt strongly about particular issues or Government policies."

He said the prince's letters and speeches about politically contentious issues were often circulated around the office.

Mr Bolland said: "The prince's very definite aim in all this activity, as he explained to me, was to influence opinion. He saw that as part of the job of the heir apparent."

In his witness statement to the court, the prince's current private secretary, Sir Michael Peat, said there were many inaccuracies in the Mail on Sunday's evidence.

"He (the prince) does not campaign on contentious issues but occasionally raises questions about matters which he regards as being of public concern," said Sir Michael. "Speeches and articles are cleared beforehand with the relevant Government department."

The prince is asking the court to rule that The Mail on Sunday breached his confidentiality and copyright when it published parts of a journal in which he referred to Chinese diplomats as "appalling old waxworks".