Prince Harry Settles His Civil Case with New Group Newspapers NGN

Prince Harry & Meghan wedding carriage procession through Windsor — Photo by cheekylorns2

 

LONDON, Jan 22,  2025 -- Prince Harry has settled his lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers (NGN) over alleged unlawful information gathering, his lawyer said, after the start of a long-awaited trial was unexpectedly delayed.

Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles, was suing the publisher of the Sun and the now-defunct News of the World at the High Court in London, alleging NGN unlawfully obtained private information about him from 1996 until 2011.

His lawyer said that a deal had been reached to settle the lawsuit.

Sources familiar with the deal said the settlement totaled more than 10 million pounds ($12.33 million).

"In a monumental victory today, News UK have admitted that The Sun, the flagship title for Rupert Murdoch´s UK media empire, has indeed engaged in illegal practices," Harry and his co-claimant Tom Watson said in a statement.

"Today the lies are laid bare. Today, the cover-ups are exposed. And today proves that no one stands above the law. The time for accountability has arrived," said the statement, read by their lawyer David Sherborne outside the High Court.

Here is the apology in full:

"NGN offers 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 working for The Sun.

"NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World.

"NGN further apologizes 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. 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. It is also acknowledged, without any admission of illegality, that NGN´s response to the 2006 arrests and subsequent actions were regrettable.

"NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to Lord Watson for the unwarranted intrusion carried out into his private life during his time in Government by the News of the World during the period 2009- 2011. This includes him being placed under surveillance in 2009 by journalists at the News of the World and those instructed by them. NGN also acknowledges and apologizes for the adverse impact this had on Lord Watson´s family and has agreed to pay him substantial damages.

"In addition, in 2011 News International received information that information was being passed covertly to Lord Watson from within News International. We now understand that this information was false, and Lord Watson was not in receipt of any such confidential information. NGN apologises fully and unequivocally for this."

The Duke of Sussex's settlement with The Sun's publisher was described as a 'monumental victory' by his barrister David Sherborne. But how much of the £10million, will Prince Harry pocket? The majority is thought to be to pay his lawyers' fees. And what remains will, have to be shared with Donald Trump's administration. As a US resident Harry has to pay tax on his worldwide income unless it's been taxed in Britain and legal damages are not taxed in the UK.

This documentary looks at how the experience of growing up in the media spotlight has affected Princes William and Harry, and their attitudes to the press and media. Seismic events like the phone-hacking scandal - which started with the royal princes - and the impact of the Leveson Inquiry that followed have tipped the balance of power in their favor.

A Brief History

When this first went to criminal court in 2007, Scotland Yard kept the extent of hacking at the News of the World (NOTW) out of the public eye out of "discretion" for victims which included members of the Royal Family.

Former NOTW royal editor Clive Goodman stated that he had always been "open and honest" about his activities, despite being confronted with evidence that he repeatedly hacked the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Prince Harry.

Goodman said: "In the overall scheme of things, I'm a spear-carrier and [he] is the five-act opera. There wasn't a single significant story broken by the News of the World in the last couple of years that wasn't the direct result of [his] accessing voicemails or tampering with people's mobile phones." Timothy Langdale, QC, for Andy Coulson, then editor, accused Goodman of not revealing the full extent of his own hacking while trying to implicate others in the scandal. Goodman said that the police did not want the full extent of the activity known publicly because they wanted to protect "victims".

He also told the court that, at the time he was caught, "there was not a single significant story broken at the NOTW in the last couple of years" that the colleague, who cannot be named, had not got from tampering with phones.

Goodman, 56, of Addlestone, Surrey, was dismissed in 2007 after he pleaded guilty and was jailed for hacking royal aides with private detective Glenn Mulcaire. Goodman denied conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office in relation to paying police for information. 

NOTW editor Rebekah Brooks was found guilty of approving £4,000 for the purchase of a photograph of William wearing a bikini and a grass skirt at a James Bond themed party. The photograph was taken at a party in April 2006 during his time at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy. Brooks was then the editor of The Sun.

Goodman served jail time for four months in 2007 after admitting to hacking the phones of various royal aides, and is acting as a witness in the current phone-hacking trial.

Celebrities such as Hugh Grant, Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson and singer Blunt were financially compensated by the Rupert Murdoch owned NOTW over unlawful surveillance in 2014.

Operation Weeting

Detectives coined the term Operation Weeting when they had identified a conspiracy to intercept telephone voicemails by a number of employees who worked for the newspaper. This suspected conspiracy is believed to have taken place primarily during 2005 to 2006.

Commenced on January 26, 2011 after allegations of phone hacking by employees of News of the World newspaper, Operation Weeting was the new police inquiry opened that sought to establish whether fresh criminal charges could be brought in relation to phone hacking. 

Private investigator, Glenn Mulcaire and Royal editor, Clive Goodman were asked for information in cases in which they were already convicted.

In the months since the new investigation, News International had paid a total of at least £1.7m to settle privacy actions brought privately by celebrities, other public figures have come forward. About 20 suits are outstanding.

“I’ve never been asked before. The Metropolitan police, Crowd Prosecution Service did not ask me these questions in 2006 and 2007. I’ve never been asked by an inquiry any time about this,” Clive Goodman stated during the trials of the NOTW staff involved in the hacking.

He added, “I’m really not the slightest bit proud of this. I don’t want anyone to think I’m not ashamed.”

Although Goodman has also been charged with paying a public official to obtain a Buckingham Palace internal phone directory, he claims that it was given to him by Princess Diana because she wanted him as an “ally” at a time when she was in a “very bitter situation” with her husband, Prince Charles.

In December of 2013, private messages left by William for Kate were read out in court, in which the prince calls his then-girlfriend “Baby” and “Babykins.” Really spicy, huh?