Prince Harry Settles Privacy Lawsuit Against Rupert Murdoch’s Tabloid
Legal Battle Ends in Settlement: Prince Harry Resolves Privacy Lawsuit Against News Group Newspapers
Prince Harry has reached a settlement in his privacy invasion lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch’s UK tabloid, The Sun, just before the case was set to go to trial, his lawyer announced on Wednesday.
The resolution, disclosed in London’s High Court, comes despite the Duke of Sussex’s longstanding commitment to holding the publishers of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World accountable for alleged unlawful surveillance of him and others. His decision to settle, rather than proceed to trial, means he will not obtain a court ruling on his claims that News Group Newspapers (NGN) journalists used illegal methods to gather personal information and that company executives helped cover up these practices.
Although Prince Harry had previously stated that he was determined to seek accountability, English court procedures posed a significant financial risk. Even if he had won, he could still have faced substantial legal costs, a factor that has influenced many other claimants in similar cases to settle rather than go to trial.
Apology from News Group Newspapers
As part of the settlement, NGN issued a full and unequivocal apology to Prince Harry for intruding into his private life between 1996 and 2011. The apology covers unlawful activities such as phone hacking, surveillance, and the misuse of private information, which were carried out by private investigators working on behalf of The Sun and News of the World.
NGN also acknowledged the distress caused to Prince Harry, including the impact of media intrusion on his relationships, friendships, and family. The publisher recognized the significant impact on his late mother, Princess Diana, and agreed to pay him substantial damages.
While NGN admitted that its response to prior incidents had been inadequate, it did not make any admissions of illegal conduct regarding its actions following the 2006 phone-hacking scandal.
Apology to Lord Watson
In addition to Prince Harry’s case, NGN also extended an apology to Lord Watson for unwarranted intrusions into his private life between 2009 and 2011. The publisher admitted to placing him under surveillance and misusing his private information while he was in government.
NGN further acknowledged that it had made false claims in 2011 regarding Lord Watson’s alleged receipt of confidential information from within News International. The publisher has now retracted these allegations and offered a full apology along with substantial compensation.
With this settlement, Prince Harry joins the ranks of more than 1,300 claimants who have resolved their cases against NGN, marking yet another chapter in the fallout from the UK’s long-running media scandal.