Prince claims 'historic' win over Sun owner after settling intrusion case

Harry accepts reported £10m and apology for 'unlawful activities'

- Caroline Davies

The Duke of Sussex claimed a "monumental victory" after a "historic admission" that the Sun had engaged in "illegal practices" yesterday after settling his marathon case against the newspaper's publisher, News Group Newspapers (NGN), for reported damages of £10m.

NGN offered Harry a "full and unequivocal apology" for "serious intrusion" by the Sun and for phone hacking by private investigators working for the News of the World.

The settlement was announced as his legal action over unlawful information-gathering by NGN was due to open at trial in London's high court. Tom Watson, the former deputy Labour leader, also settled his claim against the publishers.

The two are now calling for a police and parliamentary investigation into "not only the unlawful activity now finally admitted, but the perjury and cover-ups along the way", their legal counsel, David Sherborne, said in a statement outside court.

"Today the lies are laid bare," said Sherborne. "Today, the cover-ups are exposed. And today proves that no one stands above the law. The time for accountability has arrived."

Harry, 40, will receive a settlement reportedly in excess of £10m, which is thought to also cover legal costs.

He alleged he was targeted by journalists and private investigators working for the Sun and the now defunct News of the World, and that executives had destroyed evidence in 2011 to prevent the police investigating.

In his statement, Sherborne said: "In a monumental victory today, News UK has admitted that the Sun, the flagship title for Rupert Murdoch's UK media empire, has indeed engaged in illegal practices."

The case was "vindication for the hundreds of other claimants who were strongarmed into settling", said Sherborne, who praised the "sheer resilience of Prince Harry and Lord Watson, whose willingness to take NGN to trial has led directly to this historic admission of unlawfulness at the Sun".