Prince Harry’s phone-hacking court case against against the Rupert Murdoch-owned publisher News Group Newspapers (NGN) has been settled, with the Prince to awarded “substantial damages” for “serious intrusion”. On top of the settlement, The Sun also offered a “full unequivocal apology” to Prince Harry for the intrusion into his private life, admitting to using private investigators and phone hacking in their reporting. The publisher also apologised for “serious intrusion” into the private life of his mother, Princess Diana.
The BBC reports this is the first time The Sun has admitted to unlawful activities.
In 2019, Prince Harry and former Labour MP Tom Watson sued the NGN—which publishes The Sun and formerly News Of The World—for allegedly targeting him with phone hacking, use of private investigators and other alleged unlawful information gathering. The court proceedings were due to begin in London on Wednesday morning (AEDT), but last-minute discussions were called, leading to a settlement.
The apology from The Sun‘s owner, specifically mentioned “incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun” between 1996 and 2011, as well as “phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World.”
“NGN further apologises to the Duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years,” a statement from the publisher read.
“We acknowledge and apologise for the distress caused to the Duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages.”

If you’re thinking the Duke of Sussex has spent a lot of time in the UK courts recently, you’d not be wrong. In 2023 he testified in court as part of a lawsuit against Daily Mail publisher, Associated Newspapers Limited. Prince Harry was among several celebrity claimants, including Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley.
Here’s what we know about the case.
What Charges Is Harry Bringing Against News Group Newspapers?
Harry initially sought to bring charges of alleged phone hacking, as well as unlawful information gathering (UIG) against the publisher of The Sun. However, the publisher requested that the case be thrown out, suggesting it had been brought too late.
After, in July 2023, the court ruled it was too late for Harry to proceed with phone hacking charges, it granted him permission to proceed with other allegations of UIG, including the use of private investigators in unlawful news-gathering techniques.
The hearing would have marked a significant moment for Murdoch media, in that it would be the first time that NGN would be required to defend itself against allegations that the organisation and its relevant executives had widespread knowledge or involvement in, the unlawful news-gathering techniques. Similarly, that the methods used were concealed under a widespread cover-up of information.
The allegations of corporate-level wrongdoing would go against the company’s previous “bad apple” defence, which insisted the phone hacking saga was the result of a few rogue journalists.

The claims against the publication date back to 1996 and include more than 200 articles published between then and 2011. Prince Harry is alleging that the articles written during that time contain information obtained through illegal avenues.
Of the 200 articles, the trial will reportedly focus on a selection of 30, which are due to be dissected in detail. The Duke of Sussex has been very open about his reason for pressing on with the – potentially costly – court case, sharing his intentions at a recent New York Times event last December. “The goal is accountability. It’s really that simple,” he said.
Why Couldn’t Prince Harry Proceed With His Phone Hacking Allegations?
NGN, which denies Prince Harry’s claims, argued he could not proceed with charges due to a six-year limitation. In turn, Harry’s legal team argued that the Duke was unable to bring his case to court at the time due to a “secret agreement” between the royal family and NGN.
Harry alleged this “secret agreement” involved the royal family delaying legal proceedings in return for an apology, the Guardian reports. Meanwhile, NGN denied the existence of any agreement.
Harry’s lawyers also suggested that, although Harry was aware of the infamous phone hacking scandal, he was not aware it had taken place at The Sun.
The judge sided with NGN, concluding that Prince Harry could not prove he “did not know and could not with reasonable diligence have discovered facts that would show that he had a worthwhile claim for voicemail interception in relation to each of the News of the World and The Sun.”
“He already knew that in relation to the News of the World, and he could easily have found out by making basic inquiries that he was likely to have a similar claim in relation to articles published by The Sun,” Judge, Mr Justice Fancourt, wrote in his ruling.
A spokesperson for NGN described the High Court’s decision as “a significant victory”, adding that the ruling “substantially reduces the scope of [Prince Harry’s] legal claim. The exact nature and scope of any trial of the remainder will be the subject of further hearings.”
What’s Next For Prince Harry?
Prince Harry is to receive a settlement from the case. While it has not been disclosed, People reports it will be around eight figures, or approximately £10 million (nearly AU$20 million).
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- Prince Harry Mentions Diana, His Ex Partner and Son, Opening “Can Of Worms” In Trial