Prince Harry secured a landmark legal victory on Wednesday as Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers issued a public apology for years of privacy intrusions and agreed to pay substantial damages. The apology and settlement stem from claims that The Sun engaged in unlawful activities, including phone hacking and surveillance, from 1996 to 2011.
News Group Newspapers acknowledged in a court statement the “serious intrusion” into Harry’s private life, as well as actions that affected his late mother, Princess Diana. Harry’s lawyer, David Sherborne, read the apology in court, which expressed regret for the impact on Harry’s relationships, friendships, and family life.
This is the first time News Group has admitted wrongdoing at The Sun, a tabloid once notorious for its sensationalist coverage. News Group previously settled over 1,300 lawsuits linked to phone hacking at its now-defunct News of the World but had denied similar allegations involving The Sun.
Harry, 39, had pursued the lawsuit to expose the extent of the tabloid’s illegal practices. In a statement delivered through his lawyer, he described the settlement as a victory not only for himself but for countless others affected by unlawful media tactics. The Duke of Sussex has long been critical of tabloid practices, blaming them for his mother’s death in 1997 and for harassment directed at his wife, Meghan Markle.
The settlement arrives as News Group faced trial over allegations of intercepting voicemails, tapping phones, and other privacy breaches targeting Harry and more than 1,300 other claimants. The court also heard accusations that senior executives at News Group engaged in a cover-up, destroying millions of emails to hide evidence of unlawful activity.
This case follows a separate lawsuit Harry brought against the publisher of the *Daily Mirror*, where a judge ruled last year that phone hacking was “widespread and habitual.” Another case against the publisher of the *Daily Mail* is scheduled for trial in 2024.
The settlement also revives scrutiny of News Group’s CEO Rebekah Brooks, who served as editor of The Sun during the years in question. Harry’s statement pointed to her earlier testimony claiming the paper had operated legally, contrasting it with News Group’s current admissions.
Murdoch’s News of the World closed in 2011 following revelations it hacked the phone of a murdered schoolgirl, Milly Dowler. The Sun had denied similar allegations until now.
Harry’s litigation marks a significant step in holding UK tabloids accountable for privacy violations. The broader implications for his other lawsuits and media accountability remain to be seen.
