Prince Harry settles lawsuit with Murdoch-owned newspapers

Jan 22

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Craig Nigrelli Reporter

By Craig Nigrelli (Reporter), Kaleb Gillespie (Video Editor ), Brock Koller (Senior Producer)

Just before the civil trial was to begin in London on Tuesday, Jan. 21, Prince Harry has settled his lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper group. The Duke of Sussex had sued the group, claiming it unlawfully gathered information about him and his family for over a decade.

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Who are the major players?

The prince called the settlement, “a monumental victory.” He had sued News Group Newspapers, including The Sun and the News of the World. In the lawsuit, the prince alleged that writers and private investigators had targeted the royal family from 1996 to 2011. Harry claimed that led to aggressive and vengeful coverage that had him and his family concerned for their safety.

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In a statement, his lawyer said that News Group Newspapers, offered 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 unlawful activities, carried out by private investigators.

The newspaper group also apologized for the intrusion into the private life of the prince’s late mother. Diana the Princess of Wales. Diana died in a car crash in Paris, France, in 1997 at the age of 36.

How much money is involved?

CNN has reported that NGN acknowledged the distress and damage it caused the Duke. CNN said the news group agreed to pay the prince “substantial damages.” Reports indicate those damages could be an eight-figure sum, at least $10 million dollars.

Who else was involved?

Former Labor Party Deputy Leader Tom Watson was a claimant, along with Prince Harry. He also settled with News Group Newspapers. Watson claimed News of the World targeted him and placed him under surveillance around the time he was investigating the papers for phone hacking. As a result, the News of the World closed. The newspaper had long denied the allegations.

Tags: Lawsuit, London, Privacy, Rupert Murdoch, Settlements

[Craig]

JUST BEFORE THE CIVIL TRIAL WAS TO BEGIN IN LONDON, PRINCE HARRY HAS SETTLED HIS LAWSUIT AGAINST RUPERT MURDOCH’S BRITISH NEWSPAPER GROUP. THE DUKE OF SUSSEX HAD SUED THE GROUP CLAIMING IT UNLAWFULLY GATHERED INFORMATION ABOUT HIM AND HIS FAMILY FOR MORE THAN A DECADE.
THE PRINCE CALLED THE SETTLEMENT “ A MONUMENTAL VICTORY.” HE HAD SUED NEWS GROUP NEWSPAPERS, INCLUDING THE SUN AND THE NEWS OF THE WORLD, ALLEGING THAT WRITERS AND PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS HAD TARGETED THE ROYAL FAMILY FROM 1996 TO 2011, WHICH LED TO AGGRESSIVE AND VENGEFUL COVERAGE THAT HAD THEM CONCERNED FOR THEIR SAFETY.
IN A STATEMENT, HIS LAWYER SAID THAT NEWS GROUP NEWSPAPERS, OFFERED
A QUOTE “ 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. “
THE LAWYER SAYS NGN ALSO OFFERED AN APOLOGY FOR PHONE HACKING, SURVEILLANCE AND MISUSE OF PRIVATE INFORMATION.
IN ADDITION, THE NEWSPAPER GROUP ALSO APOLOGIZED FOR THE INTRUSION INTO PRIVATE LIFE OF THE PRINCE’S LATE MOTHER, DIANA THE PRINCESS OF WALES.
DIANA DIED IN A CAR CRASH IN PARIS FRANCE IN 1997 AT THE AGE OF 36.
CNN IS REPORTING THAT NGN ACKNOWLEDGED THE DISTRESS AND DAMAGE IT CAUSED THE DUKE AND AGREED TO PAY HIM QUOTE “SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGES”.
REPORTS INDICATE THOSE DAMAGES COULD BE AN EIGHT-FIGURE SUM, IN OTHER WORDS, AT LEAST $10 MILLION DOLLARS.
FORMER LABOR PARTY DEPUTY LEADER TOM WATSON WAS A CLAIMANT, ALONG WITH PRINCE HARRY. HE TOO SETTLED WITH NEWS GROUP NEWSPAPERS AFTER HE CLAIMED NEWS OF THE WORLD TARGETED HIM AND PLACED HIM UNDER SURVEILLANCE, AROUND THE TIME HE WAS INVESTIGATING THE PAPERS FOR PHONE HACKING. AS A RESULT, THE NEWS OF THE WORLD CLOSED.
THE NEWSPAPER GROUP HAD LONG DENIED THE ALLEGATIONS. PRINCE HARRY REVEALED IN COURT PAPERS THAT HIS FATHER, KING CHARLES THE THIRD, OPPOSED THE LITIGATION BUT HARRY PRESSED FORWARD WITH THE COURT CASE, WHICH STARTED BACK IN 2019 AND IS NOW SETTLED.
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