The conservative media mogul’s British newspapers division, known as News Group Newspapers (NGN), offered 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,

Whispers rippled through the court in the moments before Prince Harry’s lawyer sensationally revealed a settlement had been reached with Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.

Prince Harry has settled with Rupert Murdoch's NGN and received an apology over The Sun and News of the World claims.

Rupert Murdoch shut down his News of the World tabloid after revelations about hacking, but his News Group Newspapers has denied broader wrongdoing at that outlet or any wrongdoing at the Sun tabloid. (Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

A legal battle brought by Prince Harry against the publisher of The Sun newspaper, owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, kicked off at the High Court in London on Tuesday, without Prince Harry in attendance and with several delays.

UPDATED 06.42 a.m. PT: There has been high drama on the first day in the trial of Prince Harry versus Rupert Murdoch ‘s News Group Newspapers (NGN), with a settlement deal now “very close,” according to NGN’s lawyer.

Harry pulled the plug on a high stakes lawsuit against a Rupert Murdoch-owned British tabloid after receiving an apology.

Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers gave Harry an “unequivocal apology,” admitting for the first time to unlawful activities at The Sun and agreeing to pay what it called substantial damages.

Prince Harry was one of two remaining claimants, alongside the former Labour deputy leader Lord Tom Watson, who were due to take their claims over alleged unlawful information gathering against News Group Newspapers (NGN), which also ran the now-defunct News Of The World, to trial.

Prince Harry wins court battle against Rupert Murdoch's newspaper, receiving substantial damages and an apology for illegal activities by The Sun.

LONDON (Reuters) - Prince Harry's lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper group officially ... Specific evidence relating to Harry and another claimant, Tom Watson, a former Labour Party deputy leader, will then be scrutinised, with the prince ...

Rupert Murdoch’s media empire just did something ... The apology to Prince Harry and former Labour Party lawmaker Tom Watson went on for another four paragraphs. The rare public apology was ...