The Sun’s publisher has issued a full and unequivocal apology to Prince Harry for a serious intrusion into his private life between 1996 and 2011, agreeing to pay him a significant settlement.
The resolution concludes a lengthy legal dispute between the prince and the media group, just as the case was set to proceed to trial in the High Court.
The publisher, News Group Newspapers (NGN), also extended an apology for the intrusion into the privacy of Prince Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana.
In a statement, NGN emphasized that robust safeguards are now in place across its publications to prevent similar incidents.
It has been reported that the total legal costs for the case, including those for Prince Harry, NGN, and former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson, amount to £10 million.
These costs are expected to be borne by NGN.Prince Harry’s lawyer, David Sherborne, described the settlement as a “monumental victory” and criticized current NGN executives for allegedly hindering justice.
While the settlement represents a significant win for Prince Harry, NGN has managed to avoid the potentially damaging implications of a public trial.
This outcome, might have brought a huge relief to the publisher, observers believed .
Tom Watson, who also received an apology for unjustified intrusion, called for further investigations by law enforcement and Parliament.
However, NGN stated that the settlement marked a conclusion to the matter.
The case has a complex history.
In 2020, it was alleged in court that the Sun had unlawfully obtained phone records of Harry’s former girlfriend, Chelsy Davy, in 2005, with no response to the claim from NGN.
Subsequent rulings allowed victims of phone hacking to sue for incidents between 1996 and 2011, though some of Harry’s claims were dismissed, including those related to phone hacking itself.
Allegations concerning the use of private investigators moved forward.
As the case progressed, legal disputes included accusations against Rupert Murdoch of ignoring claims of phone hacking and discussions about deleted exchanges between Harry and the ghostwriter of his memoir, Spare.
Delays in the trial’s start allowed for negotiations, leading to today’s resolution, where NGN formally apologized and agreed to a financial settlement with Prince Harry.
