The UK High Court has ordered Prince Harry—a member of the British royal family—and six other prominent individuals to make an initial payment of £9.54 million in legal costs to Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), the publisher of the Daily Mail. This order was issued on Friday following their defeat in a lawsuit alleging a breach of privacy.
Under the court’s order, the seven claimants must make this initial payment by August 28. However, they may be required to pay a significantly larger sum once the final costs are determined at a subsequent hearing. ANL has claimed total costs of up to £34.5 million for defending the case.
Joining Prince Harry in the lawsuit were musician Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, Sir Simon Hughes, Sadie Frost, actress Liz Hurley, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence.
The seven claimants alleged that ANL’s publications had unlawfully gathered information about them. However, the publisher had vehemently denied these allegations from the outset.
On July 7, Mr. Justice Nicklin dismissed the claims, stating that the plaintiffs had failed to provide the necessary evidence to substantiate their allegations.
In Friday’s order regarding costs, Mr. Justice Nicklin directed that ANL’s costs be assessed on an “indemnity” basis—a method more favorable to the publisher than the standard basis. He also sharply criticized the conduct of the litigation, particularly the failure to withdraw serious allegations.
The judge remarked that ANL’s claim exceeding £34 million appeared excessive on its face, raising concerns about whether all the claimed costs were reasonably incurred. However, he declined to set a specific cap on the costs the publisher could recover.
According to court documents, the claimants held insurance coverage of up to £16.2 million to cover ANL’s costs in the event of a loss. Consequently, if the final costs approach £34.5 million, they could be liable to pay an additional £18 million out of their own pockets. However, the judge stated that the final costs are unlikely to be quite that high.
Meanwhile, Sir Simon Hughes, one of the claimants in the case, told the BBC he was “disappointed” with the ruling. He indicated that he is reviewing both the judgment and the decision regarding costs to determine whether to appeal.
Earlier, following the announcement of the verdict last month, Prince Harry and Baroness Doreen Lawrence issued a joint statement saying they had gone to court seeking justice and accountability but received neither. They described the ruling as a “clear and totally one-sided decision.”
ANL had initially sought an interim payment of over £9.9 million. However, lawyers for the claimants argued for a figure slightly above £7.9 million. Ultimately, Mr. Justice Nicklin ordered an initial payment of £9.54 million.
Prince Harry and the six other claimants have until October 2 to apply for leave to appeal against the High Court’s ruling.
Meanwhile, just days before the verdict in this legal battle, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan announced plans to return to the UK. They intend to enroll their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, in a UK school this coming September.
