'She would be incredibly touched and rightly proud': Princess Diana's brother on Prince Harry's court win

The late Diana, Princess of Wales, would be "incredibly touched" and "rightly proud" at Prince Harry's court victory, her brother has said.

Earl Spencer said it took "an enormous amount of guts" for the Duke of Sussex to take on News Group Newspapers (NGN) and congratulated him for accepting a hefty financial settlement and rare apology.

On Wednesday, Prince Harry accepted a "full and unequivocal apology" from NGN for unlawful activities and "serious intrusion" carried out by private investigators working for The Sun between 1996 and 2011.

READ MORE: Prince Harry settles lawsuit against The Sun publisher, gets apology

It was the first time the company has admitted unlawful activity at The Sun, the flagship publication in Rupert Murdoch's British media empire.

The duke's barrister, David Sherborne, described the apology as a "monumental victory".

Last month Prince Harry vowed not to settle the case before a trial despite facing a legal bill of more than £10 million (approx. $20 million) even if he won.

But this case appears to have been more than just about the money for Prince Harry, who was preparing to return to London to give evidence during the trial next month.

NGN's 296-word statement included an apology for the intrusion into the private life of Princess Diana, a major bugbear for Prince Harry, who always said he wanted to seek justice for his late mother and to make her proud.

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NGN's statement continued: "NGN further apologises to the Duke for the impact on him of 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.

"We acknowledge and apologise for the distress caused to the Duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages."

The publisher agreed to pay "substantial damages" to settle the case, rumoured to be between £10 and £20 million pounds ($20 million – $40 million).

Reacting to the news on X (formerly Twitter) Princess Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, praised Prince Harry.

READ MORE: Harry seen visiting firefighters in California before court settlement

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"It takes an enormous amount of guts to take on opponents like News Group Newspapers, and great tenacity to win," Charles Spencer wrote.

"And it's just wonderful that Harry fought for – and gained – an apology to his mother.

"She would be incredibly touched at that, & rightly proud."

Prince Harry, 40, remained at home in California as the 10-week trial was due to begin at the High Court in London, more than five years after he started his legal battle with NGN.

Last month, the duke said he was committed to "seeing it through" when asked if he would agree to a settlement.

He told an audience in New York: "There is a system which is set up where, if you are offered more money as a settlement than you would ever get in court … then you're forced to have to settle. Even if or when we win, I'm still liable for the legal costs of both sides.

"One of the main reasons for seeing this through is accountability, because I'm the last person that can actually achieve that."

Prince Harry has long blamed the media for the death of his mother who was killed in a car crash in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi in Paris.

He also blames them for the persistent attacks on his wife, Meghan, that led them to leave royal life and flee to the US in 2020.

The litigation has been a source of friction in his family, Harry said in the documentary Tabloids On Trial.

He revealed in court papers that his father opposed his lawsuit. He also said his older brother William, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, had settled a private complaint against News Group that his lawyer has said was worth over £1 million ($1.8 million).

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