UK's Prince William settled phone-hacking claim against Murdoch group, court documents show
CNBCDec 24, 2022
The Facts
In documents submitted to the UK's High Court on Tuesday, Prince Harry claimed that his brother Prince William was paid a "very large sum" by News Group Newspapers (NGN) — the owners of the Sun and the now-closed News of the World — to settle phone-hacking claims.
Harry alleges William received the money in 2020 after bringing a legal claim against NGN, adding that the late Queen was involved in "discussions and [the] authorization" of a "secret agreement" not to pursue claims against the Sun's owners until the conclusion of the phone-hacking cases.
The Spin
Narrative A
While the question of why Prince William needed to take any more money than he currently has must be asked, Prince Harry's allegations again highlight the royal family's toxic relationship with the UK's tabloid media. There is little use for one's reputation if it's held hostage by media empires, and Harry may just break the cycle of the royals' compliant relationship with the likes of Rupert Murdoch.
Narrative B
Celebrities' complaints about their dirty laundry — or "highly sensitive private conversations" — being disclosed is ridiculous and shouldn't be taken seriously. Prince Harry is a multimillionaire who abandoned the duties that facilitated his status. Despite his attempts at "inner work" and "outer work," the Duke of Sussex has turned his life into a series of cash grabs — he must get a grip on his actions, or his reputation will continue to plummet into obscurity.
