Prince Harry has settled his legal action against the publisher of The Sun over allegations of unlawful information-gathering, following eleventh-hour talks that continued late into the night.
On Wednesday morning, the Duke of Sussex’s barrister said the parties had “reached an agreement” and that News Group Newspapers (NGN) had offered an apology and would pay “substantial damages”.
The 40-year-old duke had accused NGN, which also published the now-defunct News of the World, of using unlawful methods to gather information. However, NGN has consistently denied any wrongdoing at The Sun.
NGN has denied unlawful activity took place at The Sun.
The high-stakes trial was scheduled to begin on Tuesday but was delayed as both legal teams made repeated requests to postpone proceedings in order to “continue discussions.”
By Wednesday morning, the High Court was informed that the two sides had broken the deadlock, with Prince Harry agreeing to drop his claims.

The duke’s barrister, David Sherborne, read out an apology issued by NGN confirming that the publisher would pay “substantial damages” as part of the settlement.
Harry had been expected to return to the UK in February to give evidence over several days in support of his claim that journalists and private investigators working for The Sun targeted him. He and former Labour deputy leader Lord Watson were the final remaining claimants in the High Court case against NGN, which denied the allegations, after many high-profile figures—including actor Hugh Grant—had already settled similar claims.
The trial, initially scheduled to begin at 10:30am on Tuesday, faced multiple delays. It was first postponed to 11:30am at the request of both parties, then further delayed to 2:00pm following another request. Anthony Hudson KC, representing NGN, said: “The parties have been involved in very intense negotiations over the last few days and the reality is we are very close.”
By the afternoon, a third request for additional time was rejected by Mr Justice Fancourt, who stated that both sides had had “ample time to seek to resolve their differences.” After the rejection, both parties indicated they would appeal the decision, effectively adjourning the case until Wednesday morning. Overnight negotiations ultimately proved successful, and Sherborne informed the court that the claim had been settled.

Between July and December of last year, 39 individuals reached settlements with NGN. Among them was actor Hugh Grant, who resolved his claim in April after being warned he could face £10 million in legal costs if the case went to trial. Other notable figures who settled include actress Sienna Miller, former footballer Paul Gascoigne, comedian Catherine Tate, radio presenter Chris Moyles, Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm, former Boyzone member Shane Lynch, and actor Mathew Horne.
Speaking at The New York Times DealBook Summit in December, Harry had expressed his determination to see the legal action through, stating: “They’ve settled because they’ve had to settle. So therefore, one of the main reasons for seeing this through is accountability, because I’m the last person that can actually achieve that.”

The duke alleged that journalists and private investigators working for NGN targeted him to obtain material for news articles. In July 2023, the High Court ruled that his case could proceed to trial, though his claim related to phone hacking was struck out. The case was subsequently narrowed to focus on other allegations, including the use of private investigators.