News Group Newspapers (NGN) has reportedly agreed to a settlement purportedly surpassing $12 million with Prince Harry, marking the end of a legal dispute surrounding illicit information gathering by The Sun and the now defunct News of the World.
The settlement was finalized on January 22, 2025, following intense discussions that postponed the onset of the anticipated six-week trial in London, England. This case represents the first occasion NGN has conceded to illicit activities at The Sun.
David Sherborne, Harry’s attorney, stated, “In a monumental victory today, News UK has 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,” while addressing the media outside the High Court in London.
The controversy surfaced in 2006, leading to the shutdown of the News of the World in 2011. Subsequently, NGN has paid out close to $1.27 billion in claims to over 1,300 individuals, including celebrities, politicians, and athletes.
Sherborne disclosed 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.”
This settlement occurs after Murdoch’s media conglomerate paid $787.5 million several months prior in a defamation lawsuit against Fox News over the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election allegations.
Tom Watson, former deputy leader of the Labour Party and co-claimant with Harry, lauded the prince’s unwavering resolve, highlighting his bravery and exceptional courage in holding a powerful media segment accountable. Watson emphasized that many victims are likely profoundly grateful for Harry’s steadfast support and resilience, especially considering the extraordinary pressure he faced.
The legal struggle has impacted Harry and his family significantly. Sherborne noted that “as a direct result of him taking a stand, Prince Harry and his immediate family have also had to repeatedly withstand aggressive and vengeful coverage since starting his claim over five years ago.”
Harry’s previous legal victory against Mirror Group Newspapers in December 2023 preceded this settlement, where he became the first British royal in over a century to testify in the witness box. The Mirror Group agreed to pay him legal costs and undisclosed damages in February 2024.
NGN clarified its stance, stating, “Today, our apology to the Duke of Sussex includes an apology for incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun, not by Sun journalists, during the period 1996-2011.”
While the settlement did not result in an apology from named senior executives at the company and newspaper during the period of the allegations, NGN maintained that the agreement “draws a line under the past” and that “strong controls and processes” are now in place at its titles to prevent similar events. Buckingham Palace refrained from commenting on the ruling.
