The Duke of Sussex and the publisher of The Sun newspaper will keep the contents of their settlement confidential, a High Court judge has said.
Harry, 40, alleged he was targeted by journalists and private investigators working for News Group Newspapers (NGN), the publisher of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World.
Shortly before an up-to-10-week trial was due to begin, the duke and NGN reached an agreement including a “full and unequivocal apology” and “substantial” damages, announced on January 22.
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
Former deputy Labour leader Lord Tom Watson also agreed a settlement with NGN as he was also offered an apology and substantial damages for “unwarranted intrusion” into his private life during his time in government by the News of the World.
In High Court orders on Thursday, Mr Justice Fancourt said the parties had accepted terms set out in an agreement dated January 27.
He added that the parties had made an undertaking “that they will keep the contents of the settlement agreement confidential on the terms set out therein”.
The judge later said that NGN will pay both the duke’s and Lord Watson’s share of so-called “common costs” – including solicitors and barristers’ fees – incurred as part of the wider legal case into alleged phone hacking.
NGN previously apologised to Harry for intrusion between 1996 and 2011, including “incidents of unlawful activities” by private investigators working for The Sun.
The publisher also apologised to the duke for phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators at the News of the World, which closed in 2011.
“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,” the NGN statement said.
The publisher also apologised for the impact of the “serious intrusion” into the private life of Harry’s late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
There are strong controls and processes in place at all our titles today to ensure this cannot happen now
The apology marked the first time unlawful activities had been admitted at The Sun, one of the lawyers in the case said, with Harry’s barrister David Sherborne stating it was a “historic admission”.
An NGN spokesperson previously said its apology to Harry covered “incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun, not by journalists, during the period 1996-2011”.
They added: “There are strong controls and processes in place at all our titles today to ensure this cannot happen now. There was no voicemail interception on The Sun.”
