The Duke of Sussex has reached a settlement with News Group Newspapers, marking a significant legal victory for him and Lord Tom Watson
London: So, the Duke of Sussex has finally settled his legal battle with the publisher of The Sun. His lawyer called it a “monumental victory.” Pretty big deal, right?
Harry was one of the last two claimants, along with Lord Tom Watson, who were gearing up to take on News Group Newspapers in court. But just before the trial kicked off, they reached an agreement.
The High Court heard that NGN, which denied any wrongdoing, offered a full apology and agreed to pay both men substantial damages. Quite the turnaround!
Many other celebs, like Hugh Grant and Sienna Miller, had already settled their claims against NGN. Harry started his legal action back in 2019, and it’s been a long road with multiple delays.
Here’s a quick timeline of events. In 2020, it came out that The Sun had unlawfully obtained phone records of Harry’s then-girlfriend. That was just the tip of the iceberg.
Fast forward to 2021, and there were allegations that NGN staff paid hush money to a private investigator to cover up phone hacking. They denied it, of course.
In 2023, Harry claimed there was a secret agreement between the royal family and NGN that kept him from taking legal action sooner. He also mentioned how the tabloids always seemed to mess with his relationships.
By 2024, Harry’s team was asking the court to update his case with new allegations against Rupert Murdoch. They argued that he must have known about the phone hacking back in 2004.
Finally, in January 2025, just as the trial was about to start, both Harry and Lord Watson settled their cases. NGN issued a full apology for the serious intrusions into Harry’s private life.
Outside the court, Harry’s lawyer said this was a huge win, not just for Harry but for all the others who had been wronged. It’s about time someone held them accountable!
