In a rare move, Rupert Murdoch's U.K. tabloids have issued a public apology to Prince Harry and agreed to pay him a substantial sum to settle his privacy invasion lawsuit. The apology, offered by News Group, includes a 'full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex' for years of unlawful intrusion.
The settlement was announced in London's High Court just as Prince Harry's trial against the publishers of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World was set to begin. This lawsuit was one of three cases brought by Prince Harry against British tabloids for violating his privacy.
Prince Harry, the younger son of King Charles III, and one other claimant were the only remaining individuals out of more than 1,300 others who had settled lawsuits against News Group Newspapers over allegations of phone hacking and unlawful intrusion into their lives.
The case against News Group got the closest to trial out of all the lawsuits brought against the publisher since the phone hacking scandal that led to the closure of News of the World in 2011. The settlement comes after a series of legal maneuvers, with Prince Harry's lawyer requesting adjournments before ultimately reaching an agreement.
Prince Harry's feud with the press dates back to his youth, with the tabloids reporting on various aspects of his life. He has attributed the media's actions to the death of his mother, Princess Diana, and the attacks on his wife, Meghan Markle, which led them to step back from royal duties and move to the U.S. in 2020.
The outcome of the News Group case raises questions about the future of Prince Harry's third lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail, scheduled for next year.
