LONDON

Prince William was paid a "very large sum" by the owners of The Sun newspaper to settle phone-hacking claims, according to media reports Tuesday.

The details were released as William's brother, Harry, is suing the News Group Newspapers (NGN) for alleged unlawful information gathering.

There was a "secret agreement" between Buckingham Palace and NGN, papers shown at the High Court allege, according to the BBC.

The case is one of three major claims regarding unlawful information gathering that Harry has made against tabloid newspapers. The other cases concern the Daily Mirror and Daily Mail groups.

In documents before the court, David Sherborne, representing Harry, said the late Queen Elizabeth II was involved in "discussions and authorization" of the agreement, which was that members of the royal family would not pursue claims against NGN until the conclusion of litigation regarding hacking, Sky News reported.