In a rare and extraordinary move, Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers ( NGN ) publicly apologized to Prince Harry for years of privacy violations, including phone hacking, surveillance, and misuse of personal information. The lawsuit, announced Wednesday in London ’s High Court, comes with a large, unknown payment to the Duke of Sussex.
A bomb apology
The explanation marked the first time NGN admitted wrong at The Sun, a news renowned for its exaggeration. Prince Harry’s attorney, David Sherborne, read the settlement speech in court, which extensive “serious intrusion ” into Harry’s living by secret researchers working for The Sun between 1996 and 2011.
The explanation even extended to Harry’s late mom, Princess Diana, acknowledging the tabloid’s part in intruding into her life—an entrance that carried mental weight for the prince, who has much blamed the media for her horrible death in 1997.
“We acknowledge and regret for the stress caused to the king, and the injury inflicted on connections, friends, and community, ” the statement read.
The closest a king has come to a demo
The negotiation came just as Harry’s situation was about to begin—a test that could have brought NGN’s techniques under exceptional scrutiny. His case against The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World was the culmination of years of constitutional wars, with Harry being one of the few claims refusing to negotiate slowly.
This was not Harry’s second legal win against the British tabloids. In 2023, a judge ruled that phone hacking was “widespread and habitual” at the Daily Mirror, making Harry the second top imperial to testify in court since the 19th century.
A private campaign
Harry’s enmity toward the media is greatly personal. He has accused the press of contributing to his mother’s dying and persistently attacking his wife, Meghan Markle, which he says forced the pair to keep royal life in 2020.
The lawsuit also exposed bones within the royal household. Harry revealed in court documents that his father, King Charles III, opposed his petition, and his brother, Prince William, had discreetly settled a similar situation with NGN for over £1 million.
“I’m doing this for my reasons, ” Harry said in the film Headlines on Test, lamenting that his family did not join him in his battle against the click.
What’s future?
While this case has reached its finish, Harry is never done. Another complaint, this day against the publication of the Daily Mail, is set for prosecution in 2025, promising yet another book in his fight for protection.
The explanation and negotiation signal a turning point in the long-standing conflict between the Duke of Sussex and Britain’s newspaper business —a rivalry that continues to design his life, his home, and his reputation.
