Prince Harry Settles Lawsuit with Rupert Murdoch’s Newspapers After Apology: ‘Time For Accountability’

Prince Harry has claimed a “monumental victory” after reaching a last-minute settlement with Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper group on Wednesday and receiving a “full apology.” The younger son of King Charles had first sued News Group Newspapers (NGN), publisher of “The Sun” tabloid, in 2019 over allegations of unlawful information-gathering between 1996 and 2011 which the group had long denied. The eight-week trial was originally supposed to begin Tuesday but was delayed a day due to private settlement discussions. In a statement obtained by NBC News Wednesday, NGN offered a “full and unequivocal apology” to the Prince. “NGN offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun. NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World,” the statement read in part. The group also shared an apology over the “extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother” and acknowledged “distress caused to the Duke.” Meanwhile, a statement read aloud outside the court Wednesday by attorney David Sherborne on behalf of Prince Harry and his co-claimant Lord Watson expressed that the settlement represented “a vindication.” “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. 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,” he began, later adding, “Today the lies are laid bare. Today, the cover-ups are exposed. And today proves that no one stands above the law. The time for accountability has arrived.”