Prince Harry’s January 2025 settlement with News Group Newspapers (NGN), the publisher associated with The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, included a reported eight-figure sum. The exact damages amount was not disclosed in court. NGN also issued an apology and agreed to pay substantial damages shortly before the case was due to go to trial.
How much did Prince Harry receive?
The Washington Post reported that the settlement included an eight-figure sum, but said the amount was not disclosed in court. No precise figure should be treated as confirmed: “eight figures” is contemporary reporting, not an official amount stated in the reviewed coverage. The Washington Post’s January 22, 2025 report describes the deal and its undisclosed sum.
![Spare: En la sombra (Spanish Edition) by Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex [Paperback,2023] Language: Spanish](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41xoUvH276L._SL160_.jpg)
Other figures reported in coverage of NGN’s history refer to the company, not Harry’s individual compensation: more than 1,300 claims settled over the years and more than £1 billion in payouts and legal costs. Those totals are not the value of this settlement. The Associated Press reported those company-wide figures.
Which publisher settled with him, and when?
Harry and former Labour politician Tom Watson reached a last-minute agreement with NGN on January 22, 2025, as a trial was about to begin. Harry’s attorney, David Sherborne, read the settlement statement in court. NGN is associated with The Sun and the defunct News of the World; this was not a settlement with the publisher of the Daily Mail. The Washington Post covered the agreement that day.
#1 Best Overall
What did NGN acknowledge and apologize for?
In its settlement statement, NGN apologized for serious intrusion into Harry’s private life. The reported statement referred to unlawful activities by private investigators working for The Sun, and to phone hacking, surveillance, and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators associated with the News of the World. NGN also apologized for intrusion into the private life of Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana.
The statement acknowledged the distress caused to Harry and damage to his relationships, friendships, and family. As read in court by Sherborne, it said: “We acknowledge and apologize for the distress caused to the duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages.” The Associated Press reproduced the statement in its January 22, 2025 account. The Washington Post described NGN’s apology as “full and unequivocal” for serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011.
Rank #2
Was the case decided at trial?
No. The parties settled shortly before trial, so the agreement was not a trial verdict on every allegation. Harry and Watson called for investigation of alleged perjury and cover-ups; NGN continued to deny those allegations, according to the Associated Press. A settlement’s specific acknowledgments and apology should not be expanded into a claim that every allegation was proved in court. The AP account of the settlement reports both the call for investigation and NGN’s position.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is this the same as Prince Harry’s Daily Mail case?
No. The January 2025 settlement was with NGN. A separate case against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, ended in a different outcome in 2026: Harry and six co-claimants lost their claims, and the High Court ordered them to make an interim costs payment to the publisher. That costs order is not money paid to Harry and is not part of the NGN settlement.
| Detail | January 2025 NGN settlement | 2026 Associated Newspapers case |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher | News Group Newspapers; The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World | Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail |
| Outcome | Settlement before trial; apology and substantial damages agreed | Claimants lost; interim costs payment ordered |
| Direction of payment | NGN agreed to pay damages to Harry; exact amount not disclosed in court | Harry and six co-claimants were ordered to pay costs to the publisher |
| Relation to the eight-figure headline | The settlement described in the headline | A separate case and costs order |
The High Court’s August 21, 2026 judgment concerns the separate Associated Newspapers litigation. The Associated Press reported the initial costs figure as £9.5 million; the judgment sets the interim payment at £9,544,355. It was owed by the claimants to Associated Newspapers, not by a publisher to Harry.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
