Prince Harry has called for the police and parliament to investigate historic unlawful activity by Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers (NGN) and the perjury and cover ups that followed that activity, after NGN apologised to Harry for it.
Harry called for the investigation after he today settled his privacy lawsuit against NGN.
NGN offered a full and unequivocal apology for "serious intrusions" into the Duke of Sussex's private life, including "incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators" who worked for The Sun, which NGN publishes.
The Murdoch-owned newspaper arm also apologised for "phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information" by journalists and private investigators at the now defunct News of The World newspaper.
The group said it further apologised for the impact on Prince Harry from "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".
The newspaper group will offer substantial damages to Prince Harry.
Harry's lawyer David Sherborne read out a statement on behalf of Harry where he said the outcome of the lawsuit was a "monumental victory".
"This represents a vindication for the hundreds of other claimants who were strong armed into settling without being able to get to the truth of what was done to them.
"After endless resistance, denials and legal battles by News Group Newspapers, including spending more than one billion pounds ($1.97 billion) in payouts and in legal costs, as well as paying off those in the know in order to prevent the full picture from coming out. News UK is finally held to account for its illegal actions and its blatant disregard for the law," he said.
Harry first brought the lawsuit in 2019 and continued the legal challenge, after other claimants, including celebrities and politicians, opted to settle to avoid potentially massive legal bills.
"Prince Harry and his immediate family have also had to repeatedly withstand aggressive and vengeful coverage since starting his claim over five years ago. This has created serious concerns for the security of him and his family. The rule of law must now run its own course," Mr Sherborne said.
"Today the lies are laid bare. Today the cover ups are exposed and today proves that no one stands above the law. The time for accountability has arrived".
NGN has paid out hundreds of millions of pounds to victims of phone-hacking and other unlawful information gathering by the News of the World, and settled more than 1,300 lawsuits involving celebrities, politicians, well-known sports figures and ordinary people who were connected to them or major events.
But it had always rejected any claims there was wrongdoing at The Sun newspaper, or that any senior figures knew about it or tried to cover it up, as Harry's lawsuit alleged.
Harry said his mission was to get the truth and accountability, after other claimants settled cases to avoid the risk of a multi-million pound legal bill that could be imposed even if they won in court but rejected NGN's offer.
He said the reason he had not settled was because his lawsuit was not about money, but because he wanted the publishers' executives and editors to be held to account and to admit their wrongdoing.
ABC/Reuters
