Prince Harry settles privacy invasion lawsuit as publisher issues rare apology
The Duke of Sussex's privacy case against News Group Newspapers was due to start at the High Court yesterday.
Prince Harry has settled his privacy claim against the publisher of The Sun, with News Group Newspapers issuing the Duke a full and unequivocal apology.
The Duke of Sussex, 40, alleged alleged he was targeted by journalists and private investigators working for News Group Newspapers (NGN), which also published the now-defunct News Of The World.
NGN has denied any unlawful activity took place at The Sun.
The deal means that Harry will not be able to seek a court ruling validating his allegations that News Group Newspapers' journalists went to illegal extremes to dig up dirt on his life and that executives at the company helped cover up the bad acts.
The trial was due to begin at 10:30am on Tuesday, but Harry and Lord Watson's lawyer asked for two last-minute adjournment. The case was expected to last for up to 10-weeks, with Harry due to give testimony in court.
On Wednesday morning, Harry's barrister David Sherborne said that the parties had "reached an agreement" and that NGN had offered an apology to the duke and would pay "substantial damages".
Lord Tom Watson, former Labour deputy leader, was also taking legal action against the publisher, but also settled his claim.
NGN has offered "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 Sun.
They said they will pay "substantial damages" as the two sides settled their legal claim, Harry's barrister has told the High Court.
The announcement in Londonâs High Court came despite the Duke of Sussexâs vow that he was the one person who could hold the publishers of The Sun and now-defunct News of the World accountable at trial for unlawful information gathering.
âOne of the main reasons for seeing this through is accountability, because Iâm the last person that can actually achieve that,â he told The New York Times Dealbook Summit in December when he said he wouldn't settle.
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