Prince Harry and News Group Newspapers have reached a settlement — just one day after their trial was set to begin!

As Perezcious readers know, the Duke of Sussex started his legal action against the publisher behind The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World in 2019, accusing them of phone hacking and illegal information gathering. After a long and messy legal battle, NGN agreed to a settlement with the royal and his fellow claimant Tom Watson.

Rupert Murdoch‘s media empire issued a full apology on Wednesday, Prince Harry’s lawyer David Sherborne announced in the London courtroom:

“NGN offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun.”

They also apologized for illegal activities carried out against his late mother Princess Diana, adding:

“NGN further apologizes to the Duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years. 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.”

Whoa!

The amount of the settlement is unclear, but reports have surfaced that it was an eight-figure sum, which a source close to Harry confirmed to CNN. This will likely include legal costs and damages. Wow.

Previously, the father of two claimed he was not in the legal battle for money, insisting he just wanted those in the wrong to be held accountable. He had been planning to head to the UK to testify next month, but on Tuesday, the first day of the trial, both parties requested a delay to continue settlement talks. Harry must’ve had a LOT of dirt on ’em if they agreed to settle!

It’s a big win for him financially, too, because under British law, if Harry had lost, he would have been forced to pay both parties legal expenses. His lawyer called it a “monumental victory,” adding outside of court, per NBC News:

“Prince Harry and his immediate family have also had to repeatedly withstand aggressive and vengeful coverage since starting his claim over five years ago. […] Today the lies are laid bare. Today, the cover-ups are exposed. And today proves that no one stands above the law.”

Another big win for Harry! He must be thrilled!