Prince Harry settles lawsuit with Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper, receives ‘full apology’

Prince Harry and his legal team on Tuesday reached a last-minute agreement with Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper group. The Duke of Sussex decided to settle claims of extensive wrongdoing by the publisher News Group Newspapers (NGN), NBC News reported.

What did News Group Newspapers' apology say?

The settlement statement said, “We acknowledge and apologize for the distress caused to the duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages,” AP reported citing documents.

Prince Harry to receive substantial compensation for damage

The Duke and his legal team reportedly claimed a monumental victory after the publisher issued a "full apology." However, they were unable to achieve Harry's long-standing goal of holding British tabloids accountable in an open court. To settle his privacy invasion lawsuit, the UK tabloids agreed to pay substantial damages.

According to the settlement statement, the News Group Newspapers offered 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,” AP reported. This marks a landmark victory for the Duke of Sussex, as it was the first time News Group acknowledged wrongdoing at The Sun.

After facing several obstacles, including exorbitant legal bills, the 40-year-old achieved the accountability he sought for himself and hundreds of others, including ordinary people, Harry's lawyer said.

Earlier, NGN strongly denied allegations but had to ultimately accept wrongdoings aimed at Harry, including “phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators,” AP reported.

“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,” AP quoted attorney David Sherborne as saying.