Prince Harry Receives Substantial Damages and Apology in Settlement with News Group Newspapers

Prince Harry - via CBS News screenshot
Prince Harry – via CBS News screenshot

*Prince Harry has reached a settlement with the publisher of The Sun over allegations of illegal information gathering, avoiding a High Court trial. 

The publication’s owner News Group Newspapers (NGN) issued “a full and unequivocal apology” for intrusions into Harry’s privacy between 1996 and 2011 and agreed to pay substantial damages. The settlement reportedly includes an eight-figure sum, estimated to exceed $12 million, PEOPLE reports.

“In a monumental victory today, News UK have admitted that The Sun, the flagship title for Rupert Murdoch’s U.K. media empire, has indeed engaged in illegal practices. This represents a vindication for the hundreds of other claimants who were strong-armed into settling, without being able to get to the truth of what was done to them,” he lawyer for the Duke of Sussex, David Sherborne, said in a statement.

“After endless resistance, denials and legal battles by News Group Newspapers, including spending more than a billion pounds in payouts and in legal costs (as well as paying off those in the know) to prevent the full picture from coming out, News UK is finally held to account for its illegal actions and its blatant disregard for the law,” Sherborne continued. “It has also specifically admitted wrongdoing against Tom Watson, and admitted unlawful acts by The Sun, as well as by the News of the World, against Prince Harry.”

Sherborne added, “The truth that has now been exposed is that NGN unlawfully engaged more than 100 private investigators over at least 16 years on more than 35,000 occasions. This happened as much at The Sun as it did at the News of the World, with the knowledge of all the editors and executives, going to the very top of the company,” Sherborne added.

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Sherborne noted that “Prince Harry and his immediate family have also had to repeatedly withstand aggressive and vengeful coverage since starting his claim over five years ago. This has created serious concerns for the security of him and his family.”

In a statement, NGN said, “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.”

The statement continued, “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,” NGN added. “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.”

Charles Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother, congratulated Prince Harry on January 22 after he settled with News Group Newspapers (NGN). The agreement came just before their trial in London, which had been delayed by a day for settlement negotiations.

“It takes an enormous amount of guts to take on major media organisations like this, and incredible tenacity to win against them,” Spencer, 60, wrote in an Instagram post.

“It’s wonderful that Harry also secured an apology for his mother – she would be immensely touched by this, I’m sure, and also rightly proud. Well done indeed,” Spencer’s statement continued.

READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Champion Mental Health Awareness During Nigeria Trip

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