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Prince Harry defeated The Sun publisher in a long-running court case as News Group Newspapers agreed to a settlement years after the original lawsuit filing. In 2019, the Duke of Sussex brought forward a lawsuit against News Group Newspapers, publishers of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, accusing the company of unlawfully gathering private information about him via tabloid journalists and private investigators. The suit against Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper claimed these investigations involved practices like phone and email hacking and other outright privacy breaches.
After years in the courtroom, the prince finally scored a major victory in the case. On Wednesday, just as the highly anticipated court case was gearing to take off, Prince Harry’s lawyer David Sherborne read a statement outside London’s High Court, revealing NGN finally admitted to The Sun’s use of illegal means to obtain information. He began,
“In a monumental victory today, News UK have admitted that The Sun, the flagship title for Rupert Murdoch’s UK media empire, has indeed engaged in illegal practices.”
The Sun Publisher Apologizes for Unlawful Media Tactics
Via the statement, Prince Harry’s team revealed that News Group Newspapers has offered “a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex,” for the intrusion on his private life between 1996 and 2011. The statement noted that the apology covered the incidents of unlawful activities which happened during that period, including “Phone hacking, surveillance, and misuse of private information,” under their instructions.
Additionally, the group apologized for the impact of the intrusion on the late Princess Diana’s private life. The Sun publisher in their apology, acknowledged the distress their actions caused Prince Harry and the damage to his “relationships, friendships and family.”
In addition to an apology, NGN agreed to pay substantial damages. While the exact sum proposed for the settlement of Prince Harry and his co-claimant and ex-lawmaker Tom Watson remains undisclosed to the public, a source confirm that the amount runs in excess of eight figures per CNN, possibly reaching $12 million.
Prince Harry Wins Quest For Accountability of Power With NGN Settlement
Before the settlement, Prince Harry had claimed his lawsuit against The Sun was not about the money, but for “accountability of power.” His decision to forfeit the court case for a settlement came only after NGN’s move to finally admit to The Sun’s use of illegal methods to gather information about him and other claimants after denying it for years. That admission played a major role in the Duke’s acceptance of the deal.
Notably, after a long hiatus, Prince Harry’s court proceedings was set to commence on Tuesday, January 21 and last for 8 to 10 weeks. However the date was postponed upon request from both parties, eventually ending in the announcement of the settlement. Prince Harry did not appear at the London High Court, but was represented by his lawyer David who read the statement detailing the agreed settlement.
This comes barely a year after Prince Harry made history by appearing in court in his case against the Mirror Group Newspapers back in June 2023, making him the first royal to testify in court in 130 years. Before that appearance, Harry admitted in court documents that the royal family always strived to avoid the courts to prevent them from potentially testifying about matters that could “embarrass” the fold. Yet, not only did the Duke of Sussex testify, but he also launched a full-on legal attack on the press, suing News Group Newspapers and the publishers of The Daily Mail in addition to MGN, bracing himself to testify in these legal suits wherever necessary, an unprecedented move from a royal family member.
