BBC News' live reporting of a major court case reveals that News Group Newspapers, The Sun's parent company, offered a "'full and unequivocal apology' to Prince Harry for 'serious intrusion' into his private life from 1996 to 2011, and agrees to pay him 'substantial damages.'"
In a different statement, News Group Newspapers offered an apology to Prince Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, as well.
Both apologies arrive after reports of Prince Harry's possible settlement with News Group Newspapers were published earlier this week. In those reports, it was mentioned that Prince Harry was initially against settling out of court since he wanted News Group Newspapers to be held accountable.
Now, News Group Newspapers is expected to pay £10 million in legal fees while also maintaining the new "controls and processes" it implemented to prevent future mistakes.
A proud day for a loyal son
It takes an enormous amount of guts to take on opponents like News Group Newspapers, and great tenacity to win. And it’s just wonderful that Harry fought for - and gained - an apology to his mother. She would be incredibly touched at that, & rightly proud. https://t.co/ISqmvliRqy
— Charles Spencer (@cspencer1508) January 22, 2025
It's clear that Prince Harry's victory was a monumental moment that highlighted the royal's perseverance while facing such a large publisher. Charles Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) congratulating his nephew after the case's conclusion.
Spencer said that Princess Diana would be proud of her son for how he defended her and eventually drew an apology at the end of it all.
Prince Harry's fight against the media has lasted for decades, as his battle against the UK press drove him to relocate to the United States a few years ago. Late last year, Prince Harry said that living in the United States gave him a chance to protect his family from what his mother experienced in the UK. Now, Harry's victory in court gives him a chance to put some of the most painful aspects of his past behind him.
Prince Harry's lawyers called for additional action despite the apologies News Group Newspapers made after the settlement. BBC News reports that the Duke's lawyers want Parliament and the police to investigate the illegal activities alleged throughout Prince Harry's lawsuit. Lord Tom Watson also said he would pass on a "dossier exposing wrongdoing" to the Met police after the case.
The Press Recognition Panel, an organization dedicated to maintaining press regulators' independence, criticized Prince Harry's settlement. According to the Press Recognition Panel, News Group Newspapers' settlement allows "powerful media companies to avoid the scrutiny and accountability" full investigations and going to court would provide.
The request for further investigation made by Prince Harry's lawyers show that the Duke might agree with the spirit of Press Recognition Panel's sentiments.