LONDON (Reuters) - Prince Harry claimed victory in his long-running legal battle against Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper group, after reaching a deal to settle his lawsuit which included an apology for unlawful actions relating to the Sun for the first time.

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.

Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers gave Harry an “unequivocal apology,” admitting for the first time to unlawful activities at The Sun and agreeing to pay what it called substantial damages.

Prince Harry has settled his High Court privacy invasion case against the publisher of The Sun on what was due to be the first day of a weeks-long civil trial - in an "extraordinary" development.

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.

Rupert Murdoch’s U.K. tabloids made a rare apology to Prince Harry in settling his privacy invasion lawsuit and will pay him a substantial sum, his lawyer announced Wednesday.

The trial in the Duke of Sussex's legal battle against Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers (NGN) — the publisher of The Sun — over allegations of unlawful information gathering by journalists and private investigators working for NGN began in the High Court in London on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

Prince Harry was suing News Group Newspapers over alleged unlawful activities carried out by journalists and private investigators working for its papers, The Sun and the now defunct News of the World,

Prince Harry achieved something few before him have: an admission of guilt and unlawful behaviour from the Murdoch media organisation. But he also fell short of his long-stated goal of holding the Murdochs to account in a public trial.

Prince Harry has settled his High Court claim against the publisher of The Sun, News Group Newspapers (NGN) after a five-year legal battle.

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.