A ban preventing newspapers from reporting an alleged scandal involving Prince Charles has made his name the most popular British search term of 2003, according to internet search provider Google.

More people searched for information on Prince Charles than for either the 'King of Pop', Michael Jackson, or former basketball star Kobe Bryant, who were at the centre of high profile sex scandals in 2003.

The Guardian overturned a high court injunction in November, banning it from reporting the name of Charles's former aide Michael Fawcett. The ban followed an earlier injunction on the Mail on Sunday.

Buckingham Palace was later forced to issue a denial of the scandal, despite an injunction remaining in place banning newspapers from reporting details.

Mr Jackson was arrested in November and has been charged with seven counts of lewd conduct with a child. Mr Bryant is still on trial for alleged rape.

Sex scandals dominated search activity on the internet in the UK.

But the most popular global search term across the world was US pop star Britney Spears, followed by Harry Potter, The Matrix, Shakira and David Beckham.