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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Jim Waterson Media editor

Was there a secret deal between royal family and Murdoch’s media empire?

Prince Harry
The Duke of Sussex has not provided any written or actual evidence of agreement between News UK and the monarchy. Photograph: Karwai Tang/WireImage

Among the many extraordinary claims in Prince Harry’s legal case against News UK, one stands out: the allegation that there was a secret deal between Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper group and the monarchy to stop members of the royal family suing over phone hacking.

The prince suggests that this arrangement was known about by his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William and leading courtiers. Harry claims that under the terms of this supposed deal, royal victims of phone hacking would receive a settlement and an apology when all the other phone-hacking cases had concluded.

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