Editing Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (section)

====News Group and Mirror Group newspapers====
In October 2019, it was announced that Harry had sued the ''[[Daily Mirror]]'', ''[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]'' and the now-defunct ''[[News of the World]]'' "in relation to alleged phone-hacking".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49940905|title=Harry sues Sun and Mirror's owners in phone-hacking claim|work=BBC News|date=4 October 2019|access-date=4 October 2019}}</ref> Former ''News of the World'' royal editor [[Clive Goodman]] had previously stated that he had [[News of the World royal phone hacking scandal|hacked]] Harry's phone on nine occasions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-27413632|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240120075943/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-27413632|title=Phone-hacking trial: Kate Middleton 'hacked 155 times'|work=BBC News|date=14 May 2014|archive-date=20 January 2024|access-date=22 November 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Andy Coulson]], the editor of the ''News of the World'', apologised to Harry and his brother for invading their privacy, accepting "ultimate responsibility" for the actions of Goodman.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/nov/29/newsoftheworld.royalsandthemedia|title=News of the World's Coulson apologises|work=The Guardian|first=Stephen|last=Brook|date=29 November 2006|access-date=22 January 2025}}</ref> In his lawsuit, Harry sought damages in excess of £200,000 from the publisher of the ''News of the World'' and ''The Sun'' and alleged an earlier agreement between [[News UK#News Group Newspapers Ltd|News Group Newspapers]] (NGN) and the royal family which would see he and William not take legal action in return for an apology had not been honoured.<ref name="Guardian-settlement"/> Both brothers brought a claim privately through their mutual attorneys, but Harry decided to pursue his case separately with a new solicitor in 2019.<ref name="Guardian-settlement">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/apr/25/prince-william-murdoch-phone-hacking-claims-court-filings-prince-harry|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329071208/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/apr/25/prince-william-murdoch-phone-hacking-claims-court-filings-prince-harry|title=Murdoch firm 'paid secret phone-hacking settlement to Prince William'|work=The Guardian|first=Jim|last=Waterson|date=25 April 2023|archive-date=29 March 2024|access-date=25 April 2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2023/04/25/prince-harry-william-kate-media-coronation/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604212524/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2023/04/25/prince-harry-william-kate-media-coronation/|title=Blindsided by Prince Harry again, the royals must be feeling hacked off|work=The Telegraph|first=Camilla|last=Tominey|date=25 April 2023|archive-date=4 June 2023|access-date=26 April 2023|url-access=subscription|url-status=live}}</ref> In July 2023, the judge ruled that part of Harry's case involving allegations of illegal information gathering would go to trial but his phone-hacking claims were dismissed for being made too late.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-66322279|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230727095446/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-66322279|title=Prince Harry set for court showdown with The Sun publisher|first1=Sean|last1=Seddon|first2=Tom|last2=Symonds|work=BBC News|date=27 July 2023|archive-date=27 July 2023|access-date=27 July 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> In May 2024, [[Mr Justice Fancourt]] refused Harry the permission to include claims against [[Rupert Murdoch]], expand his case's scope back to 1994 and 1995 to cover allegations involving his mother or to add new allegations from 2016 involving his then-girlfriend Meghan.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3ggk2erkkvo|title=Harry loses bid to name Murdoch in hacking claim|work=BBC News|first=Ido|last=Vock|date=21 May 2024|access-date=21 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521120727/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3ggk2erkkvo|archive-date=21 May 2024|url-status=live}}</ref> In October 2024, the judge announced that the two sides should either settle or go to trial in January 2025 and refused to let Harry's team include allegations that bugs were placed in rooms and cars, and trackers placed on vehicles as "no particulars whatsoever of such allegations" were provided.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/prince-harry-allegations-claims-tabloid-journalist-2c52zvphd|title=Prince Harry refused permission to amend tabloid bugging claims|work=[[The Times]]|first=David|last=Brown|date=4 October 2024|access-date=7 October 2024|url-access=subscription}}</ref> In January 2025, the two parties settled with NGN paying more than £10 million in pay outs and legal fees in the settlements involving both Harry and former Labour deputy leader [[Tom Watson, Baron Watson of Wyre Forest|Tom Watson]].<ref name="NGN-settlement">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3wn1k6drqo|title=Sun owner to pay Prince Harry 'substantial' damages|work=BBC News|first1=Aleks|last1=Phillips|first2=Alex|last2=Smith|first3=Katie|last3=Razzall|date=22 January 2025|access-date=22 January 2025}}</ref> NGN made a "full and unequivocal apology" for "serious intrusion" by ''The Sun'' between 1996 and 2011, for "phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the ''News of the World''" and the intrusion into the life of his mother, and admitted "incidents of unlawful activity" were carried out by private investigators working for the newspaper, but "not by journalists".<ref name="NGN-settlement"/> The BBC reported on the "scrapped case", highlighting NGN's statement which said that the settlement agreement "drew a line under the past" and that they rejected the claims that would have been made in court about a [[Cover-up|corporate cover-up]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Coughlan |first1=Sean |title=Has Prince Harry got what he wanted after tabloid apology |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2l0kzypgz4o |access-date=23 January 2025 |work=BBC News |date=22 January 2025}}</ref>

Lawyers for the ''Mirror'' denied accessing Harry's voicemail messages and other allegations, but admitted to instructing "private investigators to unlawfully obtain private information" about Harry on a single occasion that involved him visiting [[Chinawhite (nightclub)|Chinawhite]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newsweek.com/prince-harry-very-private-person-lawyers-memoir-spare-1771357|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424171408/https://www.newsweek.com/prince-harry-very-private-person-lawyers-memoir-spare-1771357|title=Prince Harry's Lawyers Say He's a 'Very Private Person' Amid Memoir Storm|work=Newsweek|first=Jack|last=Royston|date=6 January 2023|archive-date=24 April 2023|access-date=11 January 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> In January 2023, a High Court judge ruled that Harry's lawsuit against [[Mirror Group Newspapers]] (MGN) as well as other similar lawsuits against the publisher would go to trial in May 2023.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/prince-harry-lawsuit-against-newspaper-publisher-set-may-trial-2023-03-08/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308165143/https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/prince-harry-lawsuit-against-newspaper-publisher-set-may-trial-2023-03-08/|title=Prince Harry lawsuit against newspaper publisher set for May trial|work=Reuters|date=8 March 2023|archive-date=8 March 2023|access-date=8 March 2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Prince Harry to Appear as a Witness in London Court Trial This Summer for Phone Hacking Case|url=https://people.com/royals/prince-harry-appear-witness-london-court-trial-mirror-group-newspapers/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231226225639/https://people.com/royals/prince-harry-appear-witness-london-court-trial-mirror-group-newspapers/|date=7 April 2023|archive-date=26 December 2023|access-date=7 April 2023|magazine=People|first=Janine|last=Henni|url-status=live}}</ref> At the beginning of trial, MGN apologised for one instance of unlawful information gathering against Harry and added that his legal challenge "warrants compensation".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65541046|title=Prince Harry: Mirror publisher apologises in phone hacking trial|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230510103107/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65541046|first1=Tom|last1=Symonds|first2=James|last2=Gregory|work=BBC News|date=10 May 2023|archive-date=10 May 2023|access-date=10 May 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> In June 2023, Harry testified in the court case accusing former ''Daily Mirror'' editor [[Piers Morgan]] of horrific personal attacks and claimed that his phone had been hacked dating back to when he was still at Eton.<ref>{{cite news |date=6 June 2023|title=Prince Harry accuses Piers Morgan of 'horrific personal attacks'|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-65818773|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606075022/https://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-65818773|access-date=6 June 2023|archive-date=6 June 2023|work=BBC News}}</ref> His appearance marked the first time a member of the royal family had been [[cross-examined]] in court since [[Albert Edward, Prince of Wales]], appeared as a witness in court [[Royal baccarat scandal|in 1891]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/prince-harry-testify-court-uk-tabloid-hacking-trial-mirror-rcna87621|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240409230246/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/prince-harry-testify-court-uk-tabloid-hacking-trial-mirror-rcna87621|title=Prince Harry becomes the first British royal to testify in court in 130 years|work=NBC News|first=Alexander|last=Smith|date=5 June 2023|archive-date=9 April 2024|access-date=6 June 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> In December 2023, the High Court ruled in favour of Harry for 15 of the 33 sample stories used in his claims of phone hacking against MGN and awarded him £140,600 of the £440,000 he sought in damages.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ward|first=Victoria|title=Prince Harry was victim of phone hacking by Mirror newspapers, judge rules|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2023/12/15/extensive-hacking-mirror-newspapers-prince-harry/|work=The Telegraph|access-date=15 December 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231215115026/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2023/12/15/extensive-hacking-mirror-newspapers-prince-harry/|archive-date=15 December 2023 |date=15 December 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Mirror-ruling">{{cite news|last=Coughlan|first=Sean|title=Harry wins 15 claims in phone-hacking case against Mirror publisher |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67332563|work=BBC News|access-date=15 December 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20231215155455/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-67332563|archive-date=15 December 2023|date=15 December 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Siddique|first=Haroon|title=Prince Harry v Mirror Group: key findings of the phone-hacking case |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/15/prince-harry-v-mirror-group-key-findings-of-phone-hacking-case|work=The Guardian|access-date=15 December 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20231215172157/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/15/prince-harry-v-mirror-group-key-findings-of-phone-hacking-case|archive-date=15 December 2023|date=15 December 2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/prince-harry-his-many-lawsuits-against-press-2023-12-15/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240325071712/https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/prince-harry-his-many-lawsuits-against-press-2023-12-15/|title=Prince Harry and his many lawsuits against the press|work=Reuters|date=14 December 2023|archive-date=25 March 2024|access-date=15 December 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> Mr Justice Fancourt concluded [[Piers Morgan]] and other editors knew about the phone hacking at their publications and were involved in it.<ref>{{cite news|last=Topping|first=Alexandra|title=Piers Morgan denies knowing of phone hacking after judge rules he did|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/dec/15/piers-morgan-denies-knowing-phone-hacking-judge-rules-did-prince-harry|work=The Guardian|access-date=15 December 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20231215153354/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/dec/15/piers-morgan-denies-knowing-phone-hacking-judge-rules-did-prince-harry|archive-date=15 December 2023 |date=15 December 2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tobin|first1=Sam|last2=Holden|first2=Michael |title=Piers Morgan knew about phone-hacking at Daily Mirror, London judge finds |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/piers-morgan-knew-about-phone-hacking-daily-mirror-london-judge-finds-2023-12-15|access-date=15 December 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20231215131723/https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/piers-morgan-knew-about-phone-hacking-daily-mirror-london-judge-finds-2023-12-15/|archive-date=15 December 2023|date=15 December 2023|url-status=live|work=Reuters}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Pilgrim|first=Pilgrim|title=Judge accepts evidence that Piers Morgan knew about phone hacking at The Mirror|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/piers-morgan-omid-scobie-justice-kylie-minogue-mirror-group-newspapers-b2464820.html|work=The Independent|access-date=15 December 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20231215153912/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/piers-morgan-omid-scobie-justice-kylie-minogue-mirror-group-newspapers-b2464820.html|archive-date=15 December 2023|date=15 December 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> Harry through his lawyer [[David Sherborne]] called the ruling "vindicating and affirming" and urged the authorities to further investigate and prosecute the company.<ref name="Mirror-ruling"/> An additional 115 articles from Harry's claim might have been the focus of two further trials, but in February 2024 he settled his claim with MGN. The publisher agreed to cover Harry's legal costs and pay damages reported to be in the region of £300,000.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-68249009|title=Prince Harry settles phone hacking claim with Mirror group|work=BBC News|first=James|last=Gregory|date=9 February 2024|access-date=9 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240209154218/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-68249009|archive-date=9 February 2024|url-status=live}}</ref>