Prince Harry claimed a "monumental victory" on Wednesday as his legal battle against Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers (NGN) concluded with an unprecedented settlement. The agreement, reached just as the trial was set to begin, includes a substantial financial payout and a public apology from the media conglomerate for unlawful activities carried out by its tabloids, The Sun and the defunct News of the World.
The Duke of Sussex, 40, had alleged that NGN engaged in phone hacking, surveillance, and other forms of unlawful information gathering targeting him, his late mother Princess Diana, and others close to him between 1996 and 2011. David Sherborne, Harry's barrister, read a statement in London's High Court detailing the settlement, which includes NGN's "full and unequivocal apology" for intrusions into Harry's private life.
"This represents a vindication for the hundreds of other claimants who were strong-armed into settling without being able to get to the truth of what was done to them," Sherborne said outside the court. He further criticized NGN for spending over £1 billion ($1.24 billion) in payouts and legal costs to avoid public scrutiny of its actions.
The settlement also addressed the impact of NGN's practices on Princess Diana, marking the first acknowledgment by the publisher of its intrusion into her life. The apology extended to the distress caused to Harry, as well as the damage inflicted on his relationships, friendships, and family.
Harry was one of the last two claimants holding out for trial from an initial group of over 1,300 who had filed similar lawsuits against NGN. The other was Tom Watson, a former Labour Party deputy leader and lawmaker who had been targeted during his investigation into tabloid practices. Watson also received an apology and settlement, stating, "We are grateful to [Harry] for his unwavering support and determination under extraordinary pressure."
Sherborne's statement also alleged that senior executives at NGN had engaged in a cover-up, deleting millions of emails and other records to obstruct justice. While NGN denied these accusations, the settlement marks the first admission of wrongdoing by The Sun, which previously had not acknowledged engaging in unlawful practices.
Harry's legal battles have been a cornerstone of his ongoing campaign against tabloid media, which he blames for his mother's death in 1997 and the relentless attacks on his wife, Meghan Markle. These experiences ultimately drove Harry and Meghan to step back from royal duties and relocate to the U.S. in 2020.
The settlement follows a series of high-profile documentaries and lawsuits that have highlighted the darker practices of British tabloid journalism. Harry's case against NGN was one of three he has pursued in recent years, including a victorious suit against the publisher of the Daily Mirror. He is also pursuing legal action against the publisher of the Daily Mail, with a trial scheduled for next year.
Watson, in a statement, called on Rupert Murdoch to personally apologize to those harmed by the actions of his media outlets. He praised Harry for his courage, adding, "I once said that the big beasts of the tabloid jungle have no predators. I was wrong-they have Prince Harry."
The outcome underscores the significant financial and reputational cost of the phone hacking scandal for Murdoch's media empire. NGN has now settled over 1,300 claims without trial, spending billions to resolve the fallout from illegal practices that first came to light with the closure of the News of the World in 2011.
