Just In: Prince Harry To Receive 8-Figure Sum in Lawsuit Settlement Involving Princess Diana…. Check In

The shock settlement comes before the official trial was set to begin.

Prince Harry has received an eight-figure settlement along with an official apology from NGN (News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun and former outlet News of the World) in a surprising development in his lawsuit against the tabloid publisher. The two parties reached a settlement on January 22 after delaying the official trial in London.

As reported by People, Harry likely received over $12 million in damages in the settlement. NGN also issued a “a full and unequivocal apology” to Harry “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 forThe Sun.” The statement also included a mention of Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana. “NGN further apologizes to the Duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years.”

David Sherborne, the lawyer representing Harry and his co-claimant, former MP Tom Watson, made a statement following the announcement of the settlement. “In a monumental victory today, News UK have admitted that The Sun, the flagship title for Rupert Murdoch’s U.K. media empire, has indeed engaged in illegal practices. This represents a vindication for the hundreds of other claimants who were strong-armed into settling, without being able to get to the truth of what was done to them,” Sherborne said outside the High Court.

After endless resistance, denials, and legal battles by NGN, including spending more than a billion pounds in payouts and in legal costs (as well as paying off those in the know) to prevent the full picture from coming out, News UK is finally held to account for its illegal actions and its blatant disregard for the law,” Sherborne went on. “It has also specifically admitted wrongdoing against Tom Watson, and admitted unlawful acts by The Sun, as well as by the News of the World, against Prince Harry.

Later in his statement, Sherborne called for a formal investigation into NGN. “The rule of law must now run its full course. Prince Harry and Tom Watson join others in calling for the police and Parliament to investigate not only the unlawful activity now finally admitted, but the perjury and cover-ups along the way,” he said. “It’s clear now this has occurred throughout this process, including through sworn evidence in inquiries and court hearings, and in testimony to Parliament, until today’s final collapse of NGN’s defense. Today the lies are laid bare. Today, the cover-ups are exposed. And today proves that no one stands above the law. The time for accountability has arrived.”

Watson also made a statement in which he praised his co-claimant’s “bravery and astonishing courage”, which he stated “has brought accountability to a part of the media world that thought it was untouchable.”

Harry’s suit against NGN accused the published of ongoing invasions of privacy from 1990 to 2016, including claims that the company tapped Princess Diana’s calls when he was just 9.