A monumental victory : Prince Harry triumphs against tabloids in London court and will receive substantial damages

Get the Full StoryPrince Harry has been waging war against the British tabloid press for years. He grew up watching his mother, Princess Diana, spend her life squarely in their crosshairs. Throughout his life he s been the subject of intense and intrusive press attention, which he alleged included phone hacking and illegal surveillance. Harry had vowed this would go to trial in London s High Court, where the truth of what was going on at News Group Newspapers NGN , owners of The Sun, and the now-closed The News of the World would be dragged into the harsh light of day. That will now not happen, as NGN has conceded defeat just before court proceedings were set to begin. In a lengthy apology, NGN admits that Harry s accusations were true, beginning 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. NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World. In what ll be a particularly satisfying moment for Harry, NGN goes on to apologize for their intrusion into the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years. NGN promises to pay Harry substantial damages, which probably include covering some or all of the immense legal costs he incurred bringing this almighty battle to court. So, why has NGN rolled over now? It s likely that their legal team and executives realized they were not only fighting a losing battle, but that evidence given in court may open them up to criminal proceedings. Despite the contrite apology, NGN underlines it is made without any admission of illegality, despite acknowledging their actions were unlawful. More specifically, this means that the serious allegations against former NGN CEO Rebekah Brooks will not be tested in court. The BBC also reports that NGN was disturbed by how determined Harry was to bring this to trial, as he d previously said he wanted to test these claims in court. As a fabulously wealthy person in his own right, Harry could afford to pay his legal fees and wouldn t be ruined if the judge ruled against him, making him a tough adversary. As per the BBC s source, NGN s legal team were surprised by the serious approach by Prince Harry for settlement in recent days and felt forced to back down by making him an offer he couldn t refuse. Speaking outside the court, Prince Harry s lawyer David Sherbourne read out a statement from Harry, saying that it was a monumental victory, represented complete vindication for Harry, and that News Group Newspapers has finally been held to account for its illegal actions and its blatant disregard for the law. More on this story as it develops.

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