Yesterday, News Group Newspapers settled with Prince Harry. Harry sued NGN nearly six years ago, and he stood tough as the Murdoch empire threw everything they could at him. The Murdochs were helped along the way by the royalist media class in the UK and the Windsors themselves. Because Harry was fully prepared to go through this lengthy process and put his money and reputation on the line, NGN really had no choice but to settle and admit culpability, giving Harry a full apology AND an admission of their wrong-doing. That was more than any other litigant had gotten through NGN’s settlements. Not only that, Harry secured an acknowledgement and admission about what the Murdochs had done to his late mother.
The settlement was huge transatlantic news yesterday, with “Prince Harry” and “Murdoch” trending on social media the entire day. Harry was praised across the board for his bravery in taking on the Murdochs and winning. Two groups of people were noticeably quiet and subdued: royal reporters and the Windsors. Some royal reporters did bare-bones updates on the case, but the Windsors issued zero statements of support, praise or acknowledgement of Harry’s victory. Given that Harry’s lawsuits with NGN were a major reason why the Windsors behaved the way they did in 2020, it feels like the Windsors are more concerned about their dear friend NGN than Prince Harry. Someone in Harry’s British family did make a public statement though – his uncle Charles Spencer, the Earl Spencer.
It takes an enormous amount of guts to take on opponents like News Group Newspapers, and great tenacity to win. And it’s just wonderful that Harry fought for – and gained – an apology to his mother. She would be incredibly touched at that, & rightly proud. https://t.co/ISqmvliRqy
— Charles Spencer (@cspencer1508) January 22, 2025
“It’s just wonderful that Harry fought for – and gained – an apology to his mother. She would be incredibly touched at that, & rightly proud.” I was touched and proud that Harry apparently insisted on an acknowledgement for his mother too. As many pointed out yesterday, this is not the first time NGN gave a settlement to a prince – the last time, they gave Prince William £1 million secretly, didn’t publicly apologize, admitted nothing and they probably rejoiced when William publicly called his mother paranoid.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Avalon Red.
