The owner of the Sun newspaper offers a "full and unequivocal apology" to Prince Harry for "serious intrusion" into his private life from 1996 to 2011, and agrees to pay him "substantial damages"
It settles a long-running legal battle between the prince and the newspaper group, moments before a trial was due to begin in the High Court
News Group Newspapers (NGN) also apologises for serious intrusion into the private life of Harry's late mother, Princess Diana - read the apology in full here
In a further statement, NGN says there are "strong controls and processes in place at all our titles today to ensure this cannot happen now"
The BBC understands the legal fees for the Sun's owner, Prince Harry and Tom Watson totals £10 million - which is expected to be paid by NGN
Prince Harry's lawyer, David Sherborne, calls it a "monumental victory" - and accuses current NGN executives of "obstructing justice"
Prince Harry will feel vindicated, but NGN has avoided its worst-case scenario of a full-blown trial, our correspondent Dominic Casciani writes from court
Former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson also receives an apology for "unwarranted intrusion" - and calls on the police and Parliament to investigate further. But NGN says "today's settlement draws a line under the past"
Watch: Prince Harry's lawyer hails 'monumental' victory against News Group Newspapers
Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from the High Court
Image source, PA MediaPrince Harry's barrister has just turned up to court.
David Sherborne is asked by a BBC producer if there has been a settlement.
Mr Sherborne says good morning and "...have to see".
Imogen James
Reporting from the High Court
This trial has been in the works for years. After settling more than 1,000 claims, there are two men, Prince Harry and Lord Tom Watson left fighting News Group Newspapers (NGN).
Here's what they want:
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is arguing two things. Unlawful information gathering by The Sun, and also that there was widespread knowledge of this illegal activity, and there was a coverup involved.
He tried to argue for phone hacking, but was denied due to time limitations.
Lord Tom Watson says his phone was targeted around the time he was investigating the Murdoch newspapers at the height of the scandal almost 15 years ago.
NGN denies this claims, and the NGN executives who they accuse of the cover up, including News UK CEO Rebekah Brooks, have denied wrongdoing.
They will argue that the duke has run out of time to bring these allegations and test each article that he has claimed the information in them came from dodgy sources.
Finally, they will bring witnesses to rebut Prince Harry and Lord Watson's broader allegation that the senior staff of NGN knew about and destroyed evidence in relation to unlawful information gathering.
The question on many people's mind will be if the Prince will appear.
For now, he remains in the US, where he lives and he won't be appearing today.
However, lawyers have said he will appear to give evidence later on in the trial, unless a settlement is agreed.
He has previously done this in a similar case in 2023 against the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and The People newspapers.
When he did, he was the first senior royal to give evidence in a law court in 132 years.
He has refused to settle, citing his motivation as "accountability".
Imogen James
Reporting from the High Court
We aren't quite sure for the reasons behind yesterday's delays, but the judge, Mr Justice Fancourt, says he understood there was a "settlement dynamic at play".
Both lawyers kept citing issues of time differences - the Duke of Sussex is in the US, so it was before dawn for him when we were in court yesterday.
Through all of Prince Harry's cases against various publishers, he has refused to settle, citing "accountability" as his motivation.
But, many other high-profile claimants have ended up walking away with large sums as opposed to going to court.
These include Hugh Grant and Sienna Miller.
A settlement would mean no trial, and no airing of more private information - but in giving settlements, News Group Newspapers has never admitted liability in cases against The Sun.
It has settled cases brought by some 1,700 claimants, to the tune of around £1bn including legal costs.
If Lord Watson and Prince Harry refuse a settlement, they will then be liable for a very expensive bill at the end of the trial if they lose, or if they win.
If a claimant turns down an offer of settlement and is later awarded less in damages by a judge, they have to pay the legal costs of both sides.
Imogen James
Reporting from the High Court
As we left last night, we were told that court would be resuming at 10:00 GMT this morning.
However, after arriving before the building opened so I could secure a spot, it seems my early arrival was unnecessary.
As seems to be a theme of this trial, we face another delay, and court will now begin at 10:30 GMT.
Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from the High Court
Image source, PA MediaWe are outside the court building and the former Labour MP Tom Watson has just arrived.
He is the other claimant in the case alongside Prince Harry.
Imogen James
Reporting from the High Court
Good morning from the High Court's Rolls building.
A throng of journalists are here, many the same as yesterday, hoping that the trial will finally begin.
There's also a large swarm of photographers outside the front doors, hoping to get a glimpse of whoever arrives.
Yesterday, we had a surprise appearance from Lord Watson, the joint claimant in this case with Prince Harry.
If things go to plan, we will be hearing their opening arguments, with the News Group Newspapers due to deliver their statements later in the week.
Court is due to begin at 10:30 GMT, and hopefully there will be no more delays, unlike yesterday.
Matt Spivey
Live page editor
Welcome back to our coverage of the legal battle between Prince Harry and News Group Newspapers (NGN) - owners of the Sun newspaper - for allegedly unlawful newsgathering, as the eight-week trial in the High Court is still yet to officially begin.
Yesterday saw a series of delays as the judge, Mr Justice Fancourt, denied lawyers' requests to delay the court - before an appeal caused a hold up.
We are still awaiting the opening remarks from Prince Harry and former Labour MP Lord Tom Watson's lawyers, as both accuse NGN of unlawful information gathering.
A spokesperson for NGN said: "Both claimants allege unlawful destruction of emails by News International between 2010-2011. This allegation is wrong, unsustainable, and is strongly denied. NGN will be calling a number of witnesses including technologists, lawyers and senior staff to defeat the claim."
All eyes are currently on a potential settlement overnight, but with no confirmation yet it all pins on what we hear in court this morning.
We'll be bringing you the latest updates and analysis from our reporters from inside the courtroom, stay with us.
Imogen James
Reporting from the High Court
We’re pausing our live coverage shortly.
After a day of delays, the court has risen and finished proceedings.
That’s because the lawyers wanted a further delay, and the judge didn’t, but they appealed against him.
Today was supposed to mark the first day of opening remarks by lawyers for Prince Harry and Lord Watson, who accuse News Group Newspapers of unlawful information gathering.
We don’t know the reasons for the hold up, but we do know that we will be back in court tomorrow from 10:00 GMT.
I’ll be there, catching the next developments. See you then.
Imogen James
Reporting from the High Court
It's felt like both a long and short day here in the Rolls Building.
Long, because there's been a lot of waiting around. And short because there's been less than an hour of actual court proceedings.
Journalists around me are saying they have never seen anything like this before.
We had three delays, and then an early finish after the lawyers requested another delay - which was denied - but then they left to appeal this decision, effectively bringing the hearing to a close.
The judge was not happy with this, as he wanted to push on. I think we all did.
So, as things stand, the first day of the Prince Harry and Lord Watson case against News Group Newspapers is yet to kick off.
We aren't sure of the reasons for all the back and forth, but both teams of lawyers argued together for this further delay.
“We are very close, there is an issue with time and gaining instructions," the NGN lawyer said.
There are whisperings here as people wonder if a settlement could be reached, which is how many of the cases against the publisher have ended.
But Prince Harry so far has been adamant about taking the case to trial.
For now, it's not been the day we expected, but it's been an interesting watch nonetheless.
Imogen James
Reporting from the High Court
If things weren't confusing before, they certainly are now.
We were struggling to hear the judge in the press room, and were piecing together the legal jargon of what just happened, when another journalist burst into the room with answers.
Now, we are all scrambling to update our editors, and trying to make sense of this confusing situation.
In a long-winded way, the lawyers today got what they wanted. The judge denied their request to delay the court, but because they have appealed it, this isn't a "delay" technically, but they won't be sitting until Wednesday morning.
So now, as we have done for most of the day, we wait.
Imogen James
Reporting from the High Court
The lawyers are refused permission to appeal by the judge.
Mr Justice Fancourt won't let them appeal his decision to delay the proceedings.
But now, the lawyers can go to the Court of Appeal against this.
The court has risen and exited, and it's likely this is the last of the action in the Rolls building courtroom until tomorrow.
Dominic Casciani
Reporting from the High Court
Sherborne returns to court, saying he has been instructed on behalf of both claimants for leave to appeal against Mr Justice Fancourt's decision not to allow another adjournment.
Sherborne says he thinks such an adjournment would be a "sensible and appropriate course and the time is likely to be highly productive".
Hudson says that NGN joins the application for leave to appeal. He says that a very substantial sum becomes payable if the trial starts.
“We are very close, there is an issue with time and gaining instructions. It is not the only factor. We do say for the sake of an hour and a half the amount of money that is going to be involved if the trial starts this afternoon rather than tomorrow it would be unreasonable to the overriding objective [not to adjourn].”
Mr Justice Fancourt says that by seeking permission to go to the Court of Appeal this afternoon they achieve the objective he has resisted - delaying the case until tomorrow.
“We take no pleasure in seeking leave to appeal but the level of seriousness which we take this because of the very serious cost implications,” says Hudson.
Imogen James
Reporting from the High Court
We were back again - but only ever so briefly.
The mood in the press overflow room, next door to the courtroom, is confused.
There were chuckles when, after the judge denied a third delay, Anthony Hudson KC stepped up and immediately pleaded for another break.
We can't quite believe it, as journalists around the room confirm with each other what we just heard.
Another 10 minutes it is.
Dominic Casciani
Reporting from the High Court
Anthony Hudson KC for NGN asks the judge to go into chambers - legalese for kicking out the public so that he can have a private word with the judge and pass on information that he cannot currently divulge.
Mr Justice Fancourt is not having any of it.
“In this of all cases, I’m not going to start having secret chambers about what is going on.”
However, he grants a final 10-minute delay - and as he does so Prince Harry’s solicitor, Roddy Chisholm Batten, dashes out of court with a colleague.
Imogen James
Reporting from the High Court
Mr Justice Fancourt says he has listened “very carefully” to what has been said, and understands there is a “settlement dynamic at play” and this might change throughout the case.
He says he is not persuaded, as it seems like a “very odd time” for them to come to terms on a settlement.
Each of the parties has a “substantial” legal team, Fancourt says, and he is “not satisfied that this is anything to do with the time difference”.
He adds there was “ample time” this morning to resolve their differences, which they have not done so.
“I see no reason to change my mind about that”, Mr Justice Fancourt continues.
He does not grant further adjournment.
Dominic Casciani
Reporting from the High Court
But no sooner are we poised to open the case when again Prince Harry's lawyer asks for a third delay.
David Sherborne has asked for more time for behind-the-scenes talks - with the agreement of NGN’s barrister Anthony Hudson KC.
“Having spoken with Mr Hudson we would like to ask for more time,” he tells the judge.
“We don’t do that lightly but we do believe that a couple of hours more today ... may be productive for the overall timetable of the trial. There’s only so much I can say.
“Mr Hudson and I would not be asking for more time if there was not a potentially good prospect of saving more time.”
Hudson tells the court that the real issue for the delays is “time differences”. This is clearly an indication that someone who needs to be part of the talks is in a different time zone, which surely means Prince Harry.
However, what’s clear is that whatever is being thrashed out is short of a final settlement of the case, as both sides’ barristers are talking about how whatever is being discussed will shorten the case, rather than end it.
“The opportunity that is presenting itself today may be less attractive once the trial has started,” says Hudson.
Dominic Casciani
Reporting from the High Court
We’re back in the High Court for the expected opening of Prince Harry’s case.
It’s now been delayed very unusually for an entire morning - and we learned enough before the adjournment to gather that both sides are talking to each other.
This suggests that there has been some kind of talks about settlement - but we cannot know for sure because those talks, if they’ve been going on, would be legally confidential.
Just assuming that media speculation is right, the question would then be what would Prince Harry get in an offer of settlement and what would News Group Newspapers be prepared to give away from its long-held red lines.
It spent £1bn on settlements to 1,300 people to avoid trials and legal findings of wrongdoing.
This is the media talk this afternoon - and we wait to see if we will find out what has been going on.
Alex Therrien
Live Editor
With the High Court case between Prince Harry, Lord Watson and News Group Newspapers due to resume in the next 10 minutes, we're now restarting our live coverage.
As you can see from our posts below, Mr Justice Fancourt granted two adjournments to the hearing this morning - both made at the request of Prince Harry's lawyer, David Sherborne.
Before the break, Mr Justice Fancourt said the second adjournment would also be the last.
Stay with us for updates from the High Court, where BBC reporters are attending.
Imogen James
Reporting from the High Court
Mr Justice Fancourt has granted two delays to the hearing this morning.
We've been waiting since 10:30 GMT for things to start, but now it'll be 14:00.
The judge had repeatedly expressed his frustration, referring to the two sides as entrenched, well-resourced armies refusing to give any ground to each other.
At a hearing in November, the judge said it was "unsatisfactory that so little progress has been made" and that there needs to be "further work done on both sides".
No doubt, this will add to his frustrations.
We are now pausing our coverage of the trial and will resume shortly before 14:00 GMT.