News Group Newspapers offered a “full and unequivocal apology” to Harry for the “serious intrusion” into his private life by the Sun between 1996 and 2011.

Prince Harry claimed a “monumental” victory Wednesday as Rupert Murdoch’s U.K. tabloids made an unprecedented apology for intruding in his life for years, and agreed to pay substantial damages to settle his privacy invasion lawsuit.

Opening arguments in Prince Harry’s civil lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers are scheduled to begin Tuesday.

LONDON: Prince Harry settled on Wednesday his long-running lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch’s UK tabloid publisher, which agreed to pay him “substantial damages” after admitting intruding into his private life, including by hacking his phone.

A legal battle brought by Prince Harry against the publisher of The Sun newspaper, owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, kicked off at the High Court in London on Tuesday, without Prince Harry in attendance and with several delays.

UPDATED 06.42 a.m. PT: There has been high drama on the first day in the trial of Prince Harry versus Rupert Murdoch ‘s News Group Newspapers (NGN), with a settlement deal now “very close,” according to NGN’s lawyer.

Prince Harry, who spent five years pursuing Murdoch's papers, declared it a "vindication for the hundreds of other claimants who were strong-armed into settling, without being able to get to the truth of what was done to them".

Prince Harry settled yesterday his long-running lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch’s UK tabloid publisher, which agreed to pay him “substantial damages” after admitting

Prince Harry had taken legal action against NGN at the High Court in London, alleging that its journalists had illegally gathered private information about him between 1996-2011.

Harry had vowed to take his case to trial to publicly expose the newspaper’s wrongdoing and win a court ruling upholding his claims.

In a rare move, Rupert Murdoch’s tabloids have apologized for intruding on the life of Prince Harry. The Associated Press called it an “unprecedented apology,” which was made along with “substantial damages” paid to the prince for years of spying on his private life.