Prince Harry wins apology and damages from Murdoch papers

Prince Harry has settled his lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers (NGN) over alleged unlawful information gathering, his lawyer said on Wednesday after the media group admitted he had been the victim of unlawful activity.

Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles, was suing the publisher of the Sun and the now-defunct News of the World at the high court in London, alleging NGN unlawfully obtained private information about him from 1996 until 2011.

His lawyer said a deal had been reached to settle the lawsuit.

The trial of the royal's case and a lawsuit from former senior MP Tom Watson was due to start at London's high court on Tuesday. Harry's lawyer said a deal had been struck, with NGN agreeing to pay significant damages. NGN had admitted he had been the victim of unlawful activity by the Sun and had suffered phone-hacking at the hands of the News of the World.

It also apologised for intruding into the private life of his mother Princess Diana.

Reuters