In January 2025, the duke accepted a financial settlement and an apology from the Sun newspaper for serious intrusions into his private life.
David Sherborne, Harry's QC, stated the settlement was a vindication for "the hundreds of other claimants who were strong-armed into settling."
Baroness Doreen Lawrence, mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, also served as a plaintiff and testified in January 2026 regarding extensive surveillance on her personal communications.
She claimed the Mail tapped her landline phone, hacked into her voicemails, monitored her bank account and phone bills, and paid police officers for information.
The defense contested the credibility of the legal claims, pointing to key witness private investigator Gavin Burrows, who denied signing a prior statement admitting to illegal acts.
Judge Nicklin said Burrows' credibility had been "comprehensively undermined."
Associated Newspapers strongly rejected the allegations throughout the trial, stating that its journalists used legitimate sourcing methods.
Following the verdict, a spokesperson called the judgment "an overwhelming victory for the Daily Mail and its journalists, and for a free press generally."
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Legal campaign group Hacked Off indicated that an appeal against the ruling remains highly improbable due to court system limitations.
