Prince Harry just got a lot richer after striking a last-minute settlement with Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers over accusations he was spied upon by predatory tabloids in a lawsuit.
Harry’s attorneys issued a statement that both parties have reached a settlement Wednesday just one day after the trial was set to start.
NGN released its own statement, saying, “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.”
The company, which partly referred to Harry by his alternate royal title, “The Duke Of Sussex,” did not provide an exact dollar amount.
NGN also gave a “full and unequivocal” apology to Harry for hacking into his mobile phone and encroaching on his life while also admitting one of its tabloids, The Sun, recruited private investigators to commit illegal acts.
In addition, the media organization expressed remorse for interfering in the life of the late Princess Diana, who was killed in a 1997 car crash while trying to escape the paparazzi in Paris, France.
The settlement appears to be a win win for the two sides. NGN was absolved of weeks of potentially damaging testimony about unscrupulous news gathering methods.
3/27/23
AP
And, under British law, Harry would have been made to cough up all legal expenses for both parties if he had lost the case.
You may recall … Harry first brought the suit in 2019, explaining that he was not after money — but rather to hold the company’s executive staff to account for their wrongdoing.