Figure Prince Harry received from his lawsuit might have been 'millions less' than thought
Harry won his lawsuit against NGN last month
Prince Harry reportedly received far less than the widely reported £10 million ($12.5 million) settlement from his court case against Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers (NGN).
The Duke of Sussex, 40, previously launched a lawsuit, alleging journalists and private investigators working for NGN used unlawful methods to get information on his private life. He also alleged executives had covered it up.
A trial was set to begin at the High Court last month. However, on January 22, all parties including Prince Harry reached an agreement.
NGN issued an apology to the prince for “serious intrusion” by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 and “agreed to pay him substantial damages”.
Prince Harry court case settlement amount
An insider has now claimed that up to 75% of the sum went towards legal costs. According to a source speaking to The Daily Beast, after expenses, Prince Harry may have received around £2million ($2.5 million).
This is only slightly more than the reported £1 million ($1.25 million) settlement his brother, Prince William, quietly accepted from NGN in 2020 for phone hacking claims.
Following reports that Harry walked away with an “eight-figure” payout, some British media suggested he had been financially motivated. However, an insider refuted this.
According to a source, nearly 75% of the settlement amount may have been allocated to legal costs.
Any sum being speculated on was a total sum and includes damages and costs for the two cases.
A portion also went to Tom Watson, who was also suing NGN. This drastically reduced the sum Harry personally received, according to the publication.
“Any sum being speculated on was a total sum and includes damages and costs for the two cases (Sussex and Watson), and a majority (in the region of 75%) of the total figure is provided to cover legal costs,” the insider told The Daily Beast.
Sources close to Harry said his primary goal was not financial gain, but rather forcing NGN to admit wrongdoing.
Following the settlement last month, NGN issued a “full and unequivocal” apology to both Harry and his late mother, Princess Diana.
Moreover, the publisher admitted to illegal information gathering at The Sun. However, the company did not admit to a cover-up.
Prince William’s ‘secret’ 2020 settlement
Prince William’s 2020 settlement with NGN was referenced in Prince Harry’s lawsuit against the company.
“My brother appeared to know an awful lot more than I did on the subject of phone hacking, although he did not tell me if that was the case,” Harry said in his lawsuit. “NGN still settled his claim for a huge sum of money in 2020. The public being told, and seemingly with some favourable deal in return for him going ‘quietly’ so to speak.”
While William’s exact payout has never been formally disclosed, reports suggest he received around £1 million ($1.25 million).
Royal Insider has contacted reps for Prince Harry for comment.
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