Prince Harry recently settled a legal case against Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers (NGN), the publisher of The Sun and the now-closed News of the World. He accused the company of illegally gathering information about him. Although reports initially suggested that he received £10 million in compensation, sources say his actual share, after legal costs, could be closer to £2 million.
A source told The Daily Beast that the £10 million figure included damages and legal costs for two cases—Harry’s and another involving former Labour deputy leader Lord Tom Watson. Around 75% of the total amount was reportedly used to cover legal fees.
Harry’s final compensation is believed to be about twice what his brother, Prince William, received when he took similar legal action against NGN. Although William’s exact settlement amount was never officially confirmed, it was estimated to be around £1 million.
The case was settled last month after intense last-minute discussions between Harry’s legal team and NGN. The time difference between Harry’s home in Montecito, California, and London reportedly made the negotiations more difficult. NGN eventually issued a public apology to Prince Harry and his late mother, Princess Diana, admitting that private investigators had used illegal methods to gather information for The Sun.
A legal source revealed that the financial settlement had already been decided a week before the case went to court. However, the final agreement was delayed because Harry wanted senior NGN executives, whom he accused of covering up the phone hacking scandal, to be named. This demand was ultimately not met.
Following the settlement, Harry’s lawyer, David Sherborne, called the outcome a “monumental victory,” stating that NGN had finally been held accountable for its unlawful actions. Meanwhile, NGN released a statement saying the settlement would allow them to move on from past issues and put an end to the legal battle.
