Although Harry had named accountability as a primary motivation — telling The New York Times DealBook Summit in December that he was “the last person” who could achieve it and had no intention of settling — English court rules posed a substantial financial risk. Winning the case could still leave him responsible for an immense legal bill, potentially influencing his decision to settle, as many of the more than 1,300 other claimants have done.

The settlement prevents Harry from pursuing a court verdict affirming his claims that journalists at News Group Newspapers (NGN) engaged in illegal tactics to obtain personal information and that company executives covered up their misconduct.

Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles III, was one of only two remaining claimants in ongoing lawsuits against the publisher. His case had progressed closer to trial than any other since the 2011 phone-hacking scandal that led to the closure of News of the World.

News Group Newspapers (NGN) issued a full and unequivocal apology to Prince Harry for the serious intrusion into his private life between 1996 and 2011. This apology covers incidents of unlawful activities, including phone hacking, surveillance, and the misuse of private information, carried out by private investigators working for The Sun and News of the World.

NGN’s apology also extends to the impact of extensive media coverage and intrusion into Harry’s private life and that of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, particularly during his younger years. The publisher acknowledged the distress caused to Harry, the damage inflicted on his relationships, friendships, and family, and agreed to pay him substantial damages.

Additionally, NGN admitted that its response to the 2006 arrests and subsequent actions was regrettable, though it made no admission of illegality regarding those events.

NGN also issued a full and unequivocal apology to Lord Watson for the unwarranted intrusion into his private life during his time in government, carried out by News of the World between 2009 and 2011. This included placing him under surveillance in 2009 and misusing private information. NGN acknowledged the adverse impact this had on Lord Watson’s family and agreed to pay him substantial damages.

In a separate statement, NGN admitted that false claims had been made in 2011 about Lord Watson receiving confidential information from within News International. NGN now acknowledges that this information was incorrect and apologizes fully for the false allegations.-Agencies