Prince Harry settles lawsuit against Murdoch's UK tabloids

Prince Harry settled on Wednesday a hotly-disputed lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's UK tabloid publisher, which apologised for hacking the British royal's phone and agreed to pay him "substantial damages".

Murdoch's News Group Newspapers (NGN) also apologized for the impact on him of the "serious intrusion" into the private life of his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales, "in particular during his younger years".

The settlement concludes a years-long legal battle over unlawful practices by two of the media mogul's newspapers -- The Sun and now-shuttered News of the World -- and avoids the case going to a full trial.

"NGN offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life," Harry's lawyer David Sherborne told the High Court, as he read an apology statement by NGN.

He noted the apology included "incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators" working for Murdoch's The Sun tabloid.

- 'Accountability' -

"NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World," Sherborne added.

The NGN apology statement went on to "acknowledge and apologize for the distress caused" to Harry and "the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages".

The conclusion to six years of court battles between King Charles III's youngest son and Murdoch's News Group Newspapers (NGN) followed days of intense negotiations over a settlement.

Harry, 40, and Labour lawmaker Tom Watson had claimed private investigators working for the two NGN-owned tabloids repeatedly targeted them unlawfully more than a decade ago.

The pair were the last remaining claimants after dozens of others settled earlier in the process.

NGN also apologised to Watson "for the unwarranted intrusion carried out into his private life", between 2009 and 2011 while he was a government minister by the News of the World.

"This includes him being placed under surveillance in 2009 by journalists at the News of the World and those instructed by them," its statement said.

"NGN also acknowledges and apologizes for the adverse impact this had on Lord Watson's family and has agreed to pay him substantial damages."

Harry, whose NGN claim covered a 15-year period from 1996, had shown no sign of wanting to settle before this week.

The British royal told a New York Times event last month that his goal was "accountability".

© Agence France-Presse