LONDON — Prince Harry and his legal team thrashed out a last-minute deal with Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper group on Tuesday to settle claims of widespread wrongdoing at the publisher, receiving a “full apology” but falling short of his longtime mission to hold British tabloids accountable in open court. 

The Duke of Sussex’s decision to settle his claims against News Group Newspapers (NGN) halts the effort expose the publisher of The Sun and long-shuttered News of the World, and expose their misdeeds in open trial.

With former lawmaker Tom Watson, Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles III, had sued the company over alleged unlawful activities carried out by journalists and private investigators working for the newspapers. 

NGN had denied the allegations but offered an apology to the prince.

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