The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Family, News and Events 10: August 2024 -

[OwlBranch]

I don't really understand this settlement (or even the case ). To me the apology looks the same as the one Harry and William got years ago. What is new?
Also, the last time, William was granted money in a settlement, why didn't Harry get any money then? Isn't this about the same phone hacking that sent some people to prison and closed down the erring paper?

The apology admitted illegal activities at "The Sun" which is a different newspaper than the one that shuttered years ago. This is the first time that this entity has admitted unlawful activities. Rebekah Brooks, then editor of "The Sun", once claimed she ran a "clean ship"; but now they admit that she has lied.

The apology also mentioned Diana. This is an interesting point since Diana was not part of the lawsuit. Tom Watson, a form MP, also got an apology and settlement.

https://www.npr.org/2025/01/22/nx-s1-5269980/trial-prince-harry-rupert-murdoch-tabloids

 

[Hallo girl]

The apology admitted illegal activities at "The Sun" which is a different newspaper than the one that shuttered years ago. This is the first time that this entity has admitted unlawful activities. Rebekah Brooks, then editor of "The Sun", once claimed she ran a "clean ship"; but now they admit that she has lied.

The apology also mentioned Diana. This is an interesting point since Diana was not part of the lawsuit. Tom Watson, a form MP, also got an apology and settlement.

https://www.npr.org/2025/01/22/nx-s1-5269980/trial-prince-harry-rupert-murdoch-tabloids

Where did it say Rebekah Brooke’s lied, I must have missed that part.

 

[Ghost]

Heres, a link to an article discussing the law. It seems NGN blinked

How Harry and Watson forced NGN to admit wrongdoing

Why the circumstances show it was NGN wanting to avoid a public trial—and not the costs risk on the claimants—that brought this case to its end

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk

https://archive.ph/k5qDU

Seeing how NGN was open for a settlement from the beginning (fact proved also by the 1300 previous settlements) and that Harry is on record saying that it’s his mission to slay dragons, I’d say the blinker is Harry.
(Also, could a paper be more left leaning?)

 

[Katymcwaity]

(Also, could a paper be more left leaning?)

Guy who edits it used to edit the Guardian, another left leaning paper.

 

[OwlBranch]

Where did it say Rebekah Brooke’s lied, I must have missed that part.

In the NPR news report, which is linked in my post, it has a heading that says "News UK's statement contradicts CEO's earlier claim".

It further said: " News UK's statement today undercuts her (aka Rebekah Brooke) statement to Parliament in 2011 about The Sun." which is a very polite way of saying someone lied.

 

[Hallo girl]

In the NPR news report, which is linked in my post, it has a heading that says "News UK's statement contradicts CEO's earlier claim".

It further said: " News UK's statement today undercuts her (aka Rebekah Brooke) statement to Parliament in 2011 about The Sun." which is a very polite way of saying someone lied.

I have no idea whether she lied or not but to be honest that paragraph does not convince me.
If they were that convinced why not say it, just like you did.

 

[shady lady]

I have no idea whether she lied or not but to be honest that paragraph does not convince me.
If they were that convinced why not say it, just like you did.

Exactly. It's just spin.

 

[tommy100]

To lie someone has to know what they said wasn’t true- Rebekah Brooks said the Sun hadn’t done XY and Z and now the Sun’s parent company is saying investigators may have used illegal methods to get information which it passed to the Sun. That can mean either a)both things are true- she didn't know that the info the Sun was getting came from illegal means or b)she knew and lied or c)somewhere in the middle ie not knowing purposefully to maintain plausible deniability

 

[Silverpot]

The apology admitted illegal activities at "The Sun" which is a different newspaper than the one that shuttered years ago. This is the first time that this entity has admitted unlawful activities. Rebekah Brooks, then editor of "The Sun", once claimed she ran a "clean ship"; but now they admit that she has lied.

The apology also mentioned Diana. This is an interesting point since Diana was not part of the lawsuit. Tom Watson, a form MP, also got an apology and settlement.

https://www.npr.org/2025/01/22/nx-s1-5269980/trial-prince-harry-rupert-murdoch-tabloids

The bit about Diana is what confuses me most. It points to the old case making a come back since why else would she be mentioned.
I can't see where the Sun admits to having done anything wrong, they don't mention being involved with illegal activities, neither is Rebekah Brooks mentioned.

 

[Alison H]

Hugh Grant calls for police to investigate Sun owners

He also wants to see the government launch part two of the Leveson Inquiry into press standards.

www.bbc.co.uk

The saga continues ...

 

[shady lady]

Hugh Grant calls for police to investigate Sun owners

He also wants to see the government launch part two of the Leveson Inquiry into press standards.

www.bbc.co.uk

The saga continues ...

Personally, I can't see this happening unless something drastic comes to light. The Met have enough on their plates and IMO they would prefer using their time and money to protect ordinary Londoners in danger of serious attacks etc.

 

[Queen Claude]

Police request transcripts from Prince Harry’s case against owner of the Sun​

[...]
Lord Watson has said that he intends to submit a dossier of evidence to the Met commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley.

The Guardian understands that this file is being compiled by Watson’s lawyers, who intend to submit the evidence within weeks.

Sources close to Harry and Watson said the evidence of criminality by executives at NGN was “almost incontrovertible”. The company strenuously denies this.

Meanwhile, the Guardian understands that the Met has been monitoring the civil case and has made a formal application for transcripts of all the key pre-trial hearings in which the evidence was discussed. NGN declined to comment.
[...]

Police request transcripts from Prince Harry’s case against owner of the Sun

Exclusive: Campaigners hope for investigation into claims of ‘perjury and cover-ups’ against News Group Newspapers

www.theguardian.com

 

[Hallo girl]

Police request transcripts from Prince Harry’s case against owner of the Sun​

[...]
Lord Watson has said that he intends to submit a dossier of evidence to the Met commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley.

The Guardian understands that this file is being compiled by Watson’s lawyers, who intend to submit the evidence within weeks.

Sources close to Harry and Watson said the evidence of criminality by executives at NGN was “almost incontrovertible”. The company strenuously denies this.

Meanwhile, the Guardian understands that the Met has been monitoring the civil case and has made a formal application for transcripts of all the key pre-trial hearings in which the evidence was discussed. NGN declined to comment.
[...]

Police request transcripts from Prince Harry’s case against owner of the Sun

Exclusive: Campaigners hope for investigation into claims of ‘perjury and cover-ups’ against News Group Newspapers

www.theguardian.com

Lord Watson is experienced in these matters.

Lord Watson is experienced in these matters.

Maybe he could use parliamentary privilege, he has done that before.

 

[Curryong]

So the Met Police are going to look over transcripts from the Sun. And so that newspaper may be in trouble again as a result of this case and its settlement. Interesting!

 

[winifred]

What I don't understand is that someone hired these investigators, someone approved payments, someone was given the information and a journalist wrote a story based on that information.

Didn't anyone at the Sun have any obligation to ask how the information was obtained, even just to assure their were no legal implications? or am I being impossibly naive?

Anyway, good for Harry for at least getting an acknowledgement of wrong doing.

 

[Hallo girl]

What I don't understand is that someone hired these investigators, someone approved payments, someone was given the information and a journalist wrote a story based on that information.

Didn't anyone at the Sun have any obligation to ask how the information was obtained, even just to assure their were no legal implications? or am I being impossibly naive?

Anyway, good for Harry for at least getting an acknowledgement of wrong doing.

You do not ask because you might not like what you hear.

 

[kalnel]

Does Harry have any remaining lawsuits outstanding at this point? I wonder what his next move is -- career-wise, with his family, and so on. I know he has the Invictus Games coming up in a few weeks, but what else is on his agenda?

I've often thought the lawsuits gave him a focus and a reason to go back to England from time to time. I hope he finds something to fill the gap constructively.

 

[muriel]

I've often thought the lawsuits gave him a focus and a reason to go back to England from time to time. I hope he finds something to fill the gap constructively.

I do hope Harry can find something productive to do with his life. The last five years just appear to be about recrimination and angst, and legal battles. I hope he can find something positive and value added to engage him.

 

[Queen Claude]

Does Harry have any remaining lawsuits outstanding at this point? I wonder what his next move is -- career-wise, with his family, and so on. I know he has the Invictus Games coming up in a few weeks, but what else is on his agenda?

I've often thought the lawsuits gave him a focus and a reason to go back to England from time to time. I hope he finds something to fill the gap constructively.

He has a lawsuit against The Daily Mail with the same / similar accusations as his lawsuits against NGN / The Sun and The Mirror. He lost his lawsuit related to security and he is appealing his loss.

If the Vanity Fair is to be believed, Harry has no income generating career interests, my conclusion based on the VF article and other sources is that Harry's interests are charity work, polo and lawsuits, and Meghan has taken on keeping an 18,000 square feet roof over their heads.

 

[GondorHasNoPants]

There was an interesting piece on my local news channel last night, about the piping bands that are scheduled to play at the opening of the Invictus Games.

Here is a link through MSN.

It sounds as if they've hired every bagpipe player in British Columbia

 

[TLLK]

I do hope Harry can find something productive to do with his life. The last five years just appear to be about recrimination and angst, and legal battles. I hope he can find something positive and value added to engage him.

I agree. If anything giving up the seeming endless cycle of recrimination, angst and legal battles might allow him to finally find some peace and enjoy his new life in California.

 

[Curryong]

You shouldn’t have to be Prince Harry to win redress from Britain’s press | Letters

Letters: Nathan Sparkes on the importance of press participation in the Leveson system; Lexie Kirkconnell-Kawana on affordable access to justice

www.theguardian.com

An article on how the British Press and its newspapers ignored recommendations of the Leveson Inquiry to change things so plaintiffs in cases like Harry’s could receive some redress.

He has a lawsuit against The Daily Mail with the same / similar accusations as his lawsuits against NGN / The Sun and The Mirror. He lost his lawsuit related to security and he is appealing his loss.

If the Vanity Fair is to be believed, Harry has no income generating career interests, my conclusion based on the VF article and other sources is that Harry's interests are charity work, polo and lawsuits, and Meghan has taken on keeping an 18,000 square feet roof over their heads.

Harry is still employed by Better Up at apparently over a million dollars per year. He received a great deal of money from the publishers of Spare and I would be extremely surprised if Harry does not have income-generating investments from his mother’s will that still bring in a great deal of money. This is as well as other income from his grandparents’ wills of course, and any recent inheritance from the QM. He also got money from Netflix for documentaries like the Polo one. Success or failure, as executive producer he would still have been paid.

Vanity Fair journalists know nothing whatsoever about Harry’s yearly income.

So I believe that the conclusion that Harry generates no income for the couple is incorrect. Has Meghan written any best selling book or did she have an ongoing trust fund or investments when she married?

 

[Blog Real]

Duke of Sussex, urges the public to submit nominations for the 2025 Well Child Awards, in association with GSK.

 

[zarat]

According to Hello magazine the podcast for Lemonada to be produced by Meghan is being postponed... Meghan Markle's latest setback revealed following Netflix show delay I wonder if any of Meghan project will see the day in 2025...

 

[kalnel]

According to Hello magazine the podcast for Lemonada to be produced by Meghan is being postponed... Meghan Markle's latest setback revealed following Netflix show delay I wonder if any of Meghan project will see the day in 2025...

Wow! Meghan has reached the point where she has the opposite of the Midas touch — instead of turning to gold, everything she tries fails before it starts.

I wonder what advice she’s getting. She really needs to go away for a while, let her public image cool off, and try something that isn’t about her as “the star.” It’s hard to imagine that her agents aren’t advising that, but maybe they’re hoping if she throws enough spaghetti at the wall, something will stick. Or, maybe she’s ignoring them.

 

[TLLK]

Wow! Meghan has reached the point where she has the opposite of the Midas touch — instead of turning to gold, everything she tries fails before it starts.

I wonder what advice she’s getting. She really needs to go away for a while, let her public image cool off, and try something that isn’t about her as “the star.” It’s hard to imagine that her agents aren’t advising that, but maybe they’re hoping if she throws enough spaghetti at the wall, something will stick. Or, maybe she’s ignoring them.

I would like to believe that Meghan is listening to advice about keeping a low profile for awhile. However, I'm not sure that she would be open to listening to them.
I believe that Harry would be happy to just do quiet charity work. However I don't believe that would suit Meghan entirely. IMHO she needs to publicize most of what she does.

 

[kalnel]

I would like to believe that Meghan is listening to advice about keeping a low profile for awhile. However, I'm not sure that she would be open to listening to them.
I believe that Harry would be happy to just do quiet charity work. However I don't believe that would suit Meghan entirely. IMHO she needs to publicize most of what she does.

I'm no Meghan fan, but in fairness, publicizing yourself and your projects is an important part of the process for anyone in Hollywood. In her world, it makes total sense to generate photo ops at charity events and do things to attract attention. She's making commercial projects that only make money when people see them and talk about them.

Harry comes from a world where, yes, you need some public attention, but making money isn't the end goal. The royals have the luxury of being able to support charities exclusively for the good of the charity. Their participation -- and the attention that participation draws -- is to the benefit of the charity, not the royal.

The only one who seems to have understood that those are not at all the same goals and efforts is Queen Elizabeth, who knew that having a foot in each camp would never work. Until Harry and Meghan wake up to that difference, they'll forever be seen either as money-grubbing royals or grifting dilettantes. They really need to choose their course, make it clear, and stick by it.

 

[TLLK]

I'm no Meghan fan, but in fairness, publicizing yourself and your projects is an important part of the process for anyone in Hollywood. In her world, it makes total sense to generate photo ops at charity events and do things to attract attention. She's making commercial projects that only make money when people see them and talk about them.

Harry comes from a world where, yes, you need some public attention, but making money isn't the end goal. The royals have the luxury of being able to support charities exclusively for the good of the charity. Their participation -- and the attention that participation draws -- is to the benefit of the charity, not the royal.

The only one who seems to have understood that those are not at all the same goals and efforts is Queen Elizabeth, who knew that having a foot in each camp would never work. Until Harry and Meghan wake up to that difference, they'll forever be seen either as money-grubbing royals or grifting dilettantes. They really need to choose their course, make it clear, and stick by it.

Fair enough, but IMHO she needs to take a break for a several months.

 

[Hallo girl]

I'm no Meghan fan, but in fairness, publicizing yourself and your projects is an important part of the process for anyone in Hollywood. In her world, it makes total sense to generate photo ops at charity events and do things to attract attention. She's making commercial projects that only make money when people see them and talk about them.

Harry comes from a world where, yes, you need some public attention, but making money isn't the end goal. The royals have the luxury of being able to support charities exclusively for the good of the charity. Their participation -- and the attention that participation draws -- is to the benefit of the charity, not the royal.

The only one who seems to have understood that those are not at all the same goals and efforts is Queen Elizabeth, who knew that having a foot in each camp would never work. Until Harry and Meghan wake up to that difference, they'll forever be seen either as money-grubbing royals or grifting dilettantes. They really need to choose their course, make it clear, and stick by it.

I agree they do come from two different worlds as you describe, but there are two issues now, as I see it.
Harry chose to leave his world, and I would suggest not as prepared as he might have been for his new world.
Meghan on the other hand does understand the commercial world of promotion etc etc, she has had to do it all her working life, but she appears to want to cling on to a bit of Harrys world to help her climb the ladder. I wish they had concentrated on earning an income establishing themselves in the commercial market, given it a few years then went down the charity route, foundations etc. There is a constant cross over , when they appear to want to do ' royal ' things under the charity umbrella, but appear to be doing commercial stuff as well. When they are criticised for trying to do ' royal ' stuff their supporters say it is charity work. There is a crossover and it is not working and leaving themselves open to criticism.

 

[Lori138]

Well said Hallo Girl!