Watch outside of court as Prince Harry today (22 January) agreed a settlement with Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers.
The Duke of Sussex finally agreed to settle his claim against the publishers of The Sun after eleventh-hour talks on the opening day of his trial went late into the night.
Prince Harry’s high-stakes trial was scheduled to begin on Tuesday, but both his and News Group Newspapers (NGN) legal teams made several bids to delay legal proceedings in order to “continue discussions.”
The proceedings were due to begin again at 10am on Wednesday, but the High Court was told the two sides had broken the deadlock with Harry agreeing to drop claims against Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers.
As the duke’s lawyer David Sherborne told the court an agreement had been reached, he read out an apology issued by NGN to Prince Harry.
The publishers offered “a full and unequivocal apology” to the duke “for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them”.
It added that the Sun and will pay “substantial damages” as the two sides settled their legal claim, Harry’s barrister has told the High Court.
