Piers Morgan orders 'hypocrite' Harry to apologise to Royal Family after court settlement

Piers Morgan branded Prince Harry a "hypocrite" after he settled his legal action against News Group Newspapers (NGN) over allegations of unlawful information-gathering. The Duke of Sussex had previously vowed that he wouldn't settle as he felt he was the one person who could hold the publishers of The Sun and now-defunct News of the World accountable at trial.

On Wednesday, the Uncensored host reacted to the news on social media and questioned whether Harry will now apologise to the Royal Family for "his own intrusion into their lives".

He raged on X/Twitter: "So ‘moral crusader’ Prince Harry took the cash.. will he now be issuing a ‘full and unequivocal’ apology to the Royal Family for his own serious intrusion into their lives for personal financial gain?

"Or is royal intrusion absolutely fine when HE does it? What a hypocrite…"

Prince Harry settled his legal action shortly before the start of a trial which could have lasted 10 weeks.

On Wednesday morning, Harry's lawyer, David Sherborne, said that the parties had "reached an agreement" and that NGN had offered an apology to the duke and would pay "substantial damages".

Mr Sherborne described the settlement as a "monumental victory" and said NGN is "finally held to account for its illegal actions and its blatant disregard for the law".

Reading a statement from NGN, Mr Sherborne continued: "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." Read NGN's full apology here

The statement did not disclose how much the damages would be.

Lord Tom Watson, former Labour deputy leader, also settled his claim against the publisher. He was also offered a "full and unequivocal apology" by NGN "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".

Speaking outside the High Court on Wednesday, Lord Watson said: "I once said that the big beasts of the tabloid jungle have no predators. I was wrong, they have Prince Harry.

"His bravery and astonishing courage ... have brought accountability to a part of the media that thought it was untouchable. I am sure I speak on behalf of the thousands of victims when I say we are grateful to him for his unwavering support and his determination under extraordinary pressure."

Several other high-profile figures have settled their cases against NGN, with 39 people settling claims between July and December last year.

In April, the High Court heard that actor Hugh Grant had settled his case against NGN because of the risk of a £10 million legal bill if it went to trial.

Mr Sherborne said at the hearing that "the Duke of Sussex is subject to the same issues that Sienna Miller and Hugh Grant have been subject to, which is that the offers are made that make it impossible for them to go ahead".

Prince Harry said just last month that he wouldn't settle his case. He told the New York Times Dealbook Summit in December: "They have settled because they've had to settle.

"One of the main reasons for seeing this through is accountability because I'm the last person that can actually achieve that."