Harry v. NGN

[Atlasvue]

Starting a thread for Tuesday.
This BBC article covers the basics. This is the last line ….
’Tuesday really is the beginning of the end. And someone is going to lose - and lose big.’

I have a feeling, that Harry won’t win but he just wants to use the public setting to air his grievances. A therapy session would have worked out much cheaper.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2l00xkgwnyo

I think there was, yes.

Ain't that the truth?

I wonder how William feels. Lucky he was born first, or wishing he were the spare.

News Group APOLOGISES to Prince Harry for unlawful intrusions into his private life.

So Harry’s settled. What a worm

Do you think he colour coordinated with them on purpose? "The Duke would like to understand the colour palette in use tomorrow"

He’s obviously decided that he misunderstood the poor cutesy fluffy-wuffy dragon and decided to be friends with it instead. My eyes cannot roll backwards far enough 🙄🙄🙄🙄

Can’t believe he settled after all his posturing!

He has settled. What a surprise! All this court action was brinkmanship. Like all the others.

They both settled - him and Watson.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cd9qqj3gvv1t

So it was about the money after all.

I don’t blame him for settling at all. At some point he won’t have had a choice: settle or bankrupt yourself.

"It's about the principle... unless you bung me enough cash."

And he criticised William for accepting a settlement!

'It's about accountability. And closure for the 1300 and their families'.

Really, Harry?

What are these 'undisclosed damages', then, but a 'secret deal' with the press that you supposedly despise?

Bloody hypocrite.

It's the one thing he's good at.

So will Harry claim this as a victory? Surely not?

As they have already paid £1bn in compensation to the others, this should signal the end.

Can’t say I blame him for settling. But how is this going to be spun after criticism of William settling?

The apology to Prince Harry in full

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.
NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World.

NGN further apologises 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 apologise for the distress caused to the Duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages. It is also acknowledged, without any admission of illegality, that NGN's response to the 2006 arrests and subsequent actions were regrettable.

NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to Lord Watson for the unwarranted intrusion carried out into his private life during his time in Government by the News of the World during the period 2009- 2011.

This includes him being placed under surveillance in 2009 by journalists at the News of the World and those instructed by them. NGN also acknowledges and apologises for the adverse impact this had on Lord Watson's family and has agreed to pay him substantial damages.

In addition, in 2011 News International received information that information was being passed covertly to Lord Watson from within News International. We now understand that this information was false, and Lord Watson was not in receipt of any such confidential information. NGN apologises fully and unequivocally for this.

As many of us have said all along, settling outside of court is the norm in civil cases and very much encouraged as a way of reducing the burden on the legal system.

But Harry made a big song and dance of how he was a 'dragon slayer', how it was all about 'accountability' and implying his brother was a coward to accept a settlement from the very people he has now done the same with. But only after wasting overburdened taxpayer resources in the process, something his brother never did. Some dragon slayer.

What happens about costs ?

that is some apology.

Good question.

The likes of Sherborne don't come cheap.

I'm guessing that since the case never actually went to trial, both sides will pay their own costs? I'm willing to be corrected by someone more familiar with such matters.

Of course the taxpayer has lost by funding this farce too.

I'd expect these were agreed as part of the settlement. Each side may well have borne its own.

The apology tells us nothing we didn't already knew and doesn't say NGN as a whole were in the wrong. What a waste of time and money but Harry will still claim its a 'win'.