Prince Harry’s legal team has reached an out-of-court settlement (with undisclosed compensation) with Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers (NGN), avoiding the risk of a public condemnation in the High Court of London. This resolves the lawsuit filed by Prince Harry against the tabloid Sun for privacy violations and illegal information gathering.
Murdoch’s editorial group, in addition to paying Harry a “substantial settlement” – undisclosed publicly in its exact amount, as is customary in out-of-court settlements – has issued “full and unequivocal apologies” for “phone hacking, surveillance, and abuse of private information by journalists and private investigators hired by them,” as stated by NGN’s lawyer, Anthony Hudson, in a full admission of guilt regarding the illegal activities contested by the Duke of Sussex against The Sun and the now-closed News of the World.
The apologies, also extended to co-claimant Lord Tom Watson, former Labour deputy leader, who had also sued Murdoch’s newspapers for illegally intercepting him, were far-reaching. The editorial group’s statement acknowledges the “impact” on Harry of the “extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life” as well as that of his late mother, Princess Diana.
This marks an extraordinary outcome in the Duke’s crusade against the popular UK press, even though it resulted from an out-of-court agreement rather than a trial. The Prince had repeatedly emphasized his commitment to opposing sensationalism and illegal intrusions by tabloids, which he considered partially responsible for the untimely death of Princess Diana in the 1997 Alma Tunnel car accident in Paris.
Today’s agreement follows last year’s substantial legal victory for the Prince’s team against the Mirror publisher, who was ordered to pay a hefty compensation.
‘Over 100 Investigators Illegally Used for 16 Years’
Rupert Murdoch’s editorial group “illegally employed more than 100 private investigators on over 35,000 occasions in 16 years.” This information emerged from a statement read by Prince Harry’s lawyer, David Sherborne, following the announcement of the out-of-court settlement with News Group Newspapers (NGN), averting the risk of a public condemnation in the High Court of London.
In the statement, which aptly captures the Prince’s sentiments, now residing in the US with his wife Meghan and children since the rift with the British royal family in 2020, it is described as a “monumental victory.”
The statement continues: “after endless denials, resistances, and legal battles by News Group Newspapers, including spending over £1 billion in payments and legal fees, Murdoch’s group is finally being held accountable for its illegal actions and blatant disregard for the law.”
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