In 2019, Prince Harry took legal action against News Group Newspapers (NGN), the parent company of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World. The Duke alleged that these tabloids had illegally accessed his private information.
After years of legal proceedings, the case has finally reached a resolution. Rupert Murdoch’s NGN has not only issued a public apology but also agreed to an eight-figure settlement.
The apology, posted on NGN’s website, stated: “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.”
Additionally, NGN admitted to invading the privacy of Princess Diana, Harry’s late mother.
In a landmark outcome today, News UK has conceded that The Sun, Rupert Murdoch’s flagship publication in his UK media empire, was involved in illegal activities, according to a statement from Prince Harry and his co-claimant Tom Watson. The statement, delivered by their lawyer David Sherborne outside the High Court, declared:
“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.”
Prior to the court proceedings—which concluded before they even got underway—some media outlets claimed that King Charles had extended an invitation for Prince Harry to stay at the Palace during his visit to the UK.
Reports suggest that the Duke declined the offer.
Last year, Prince Harry challenged the Home Office’s decision to remove his security privileges while visiting the UK. After stepping back from royal duties, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC) decided to end his automatic entitlement to police protection. Furthermore, his proposal to cover the costs of his security himself was declined, as British police cannot be employed for private use.
“It was with great sadness for both of us that my wife and I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country in 2020,” Harry’s lawyer, Shaheed Fatima KC, read in a statement on his behalf, according to the BBC.
“The UK is my home. The UK is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live at the moment in the US. That cannot happen if it’s not possible to keep them safe when they are on UK soil.”
The Duke explained, “I cannot put my wife in danger like that, and, given my experiences in life, I am reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too.”
Royal commentators believe that if Harry had truly been offered accommodation at the Palace, he should have taken it. Residing within the Palace grounds would have guaranteed the level of security he has been seeking through the courts.