Prince Harry and politician Tom Watson were the only ones who so far did not want to settle with media mogul Rupert Murdoch's media house News Group – and drop the lawsuit for compensation in exchange for money.
But when the main trial was about to begin in a London court on Wednesday, Harry's lawyer David Sherborne stood up and read out a statement from News Group that gave a "full and unconditional apology to the Duke of Sussex".
"Monumental victory"
Prince Harry will also receive "a significant financial compensation" from the Murdoch newspapers.
This is a monumental victory. News Group has today acknowledged that The Sun, the flagship of Rupert Murdoch's British media empire, has indeed used illegal methods, says David Sherborne outside the court.
It is a long legal process that is thus coming to an end. The prince, who is fifth in line to the British throne and holds the title of Duke of Sussex, was initially one of over 1,300 plaintiffs.
Hacked victims
In the aftermath of the hacking scandal in 2011, The Sun and News of the World were accused of, among other things, using unauthorized phone tapping and other methods to obtain information.
Prince Harry has long been fighting against parts of the British press and criticized their coverage of the royal family in general and him and his family in particular. Five years ago, he left the UK together with his wife Meghan and moved to California.
The hacking scandal in the British press broke out in 2011 when it was revealed that several newspapers had managed to hack into mobile phone voicemails of celebrities and victims and used the information in articles. In the aftermath of the scandal, Rupert Murdoch was forced to shut down the newspaper News of the World.
