LONDON — On Wednesday, Prince Harry came to a settlement in his lawsuit against the British tabloids owned by Rupert Murdoch, officially accepting compensation and an apology from News Group Newspapers (NGN) for persistent phone tapping and other illegal invasions of privacy. This case also included an apology extended to Tom Watson, a former Labour Party politician who now holds the title of Lord Watson.
The formal apology issued by NGN stated that the company acknowledges the significant intrusion into the private life of the Duke of Sussex conducted by The Sun newspaper between 1996 and 2011. This included unlawful actions executed by private investigators working on behalf of The Sun. The statement further reiterated the apology for the phone tapping, surveillance, and the improper handling of private information done by reporters and private investigators employed by the News of the World.
NGN recognized the extensive media scrutiny and serious invasions into Prince Harry’s private life, especially during his younger years, as well as the impact this had on the late Diana, Princess of Wales, his mother. The company admitted to the distress caused to Prince Harry and the damage done to his personal relationships and family connections, promising substantial financial compensation. They also mentioned that their reactions to legal issues from 2006 and forward were unfortunate, though they did not admit to any wrongdoing.
Furthermore, a similar apology was directed towards Lord Watson, acknowledging the unwarranted invasions into his private affairs while serving in government from 2009 to 2011, including instances of being surveilled by News of the World journalists. NGN also recognized the negative influence this had on Lord Watson’s family and agreed to compensate him significantly as well. The statement clarified that in 2011, there had been misleading information regarding Lord Watson allegedly receiving confidential insights from inside News International; this was determined to be false, and NGN offered a complete and unqualified apology for the mishap.
