The Duke of Sussex has accepted substantial damages and an apology from a news agency which took photographs of his Cotswolds home from a helicopter.

Prince Harry’s lawyers told the High Court that the photographs showing the inside of the duke’s private home in Oxfordshire, taken by Splash News and Picture Agency, had “very seriously undermined the safety and security of the duke”.

The duke’s lawyers told Mr Justice Warby that the pictures, which were “published by the Times newspaper and elsewhere online”, had “very seriously undermined the safety and security of the duke and the home”.

Gerrard Tyrrell, reading a statement in open court on the duke’s behalf, said Harry and his wife the Duchess of Sussex had chosen the home in Oxfordshire because of “the high level of privacy it afforded”, but now felt “they are no longer able to live at the property”.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said Harry “acknowledges and welcomes the formal apology from Splash News and Picture Agency”.

In a statement, Splash said: “Splash has always recognised that this situation represents an error of judgement and we have taken steps to ensure it will not be repeated. We apologise to the Duke and Duchess for the distress we have caused.”