Prince Harry and several prominent individuals have been ordered by London’s High Court to pay an interim sum of £9.54 million ($17.9 million Cdn) towards the legal expenses of the Daily Mail’s publisher following the dismissal of their privacy lawsuits. Judge Matthew Nicklin recently threw out the case brought by Prince Harry and others, refuting claims that the Mail publications had been involved in extensive illicit activities like phone hacking.
Among the high-profile figures suing Associated Newspapers were Elton John, David Furnish, Sadie Frost, Elizabeth Hurley, Simon Hughes, and Doreen Lawrence. The court criticized the claimants’ case presentation, stating that it was based on speculative and inferential grounds, leading to an unreasonable conduct level.
Associated Newspapers hailed the ruling as a significant victory for the publication and its journalism. The remaining amount is to be paid on an “indemnity basis,” meaning that Prince Harry and the other claimants must contribute to Associated’s legal costs without the publisher having to prove these costs were reasonable.
During a hearing in July, it was disclosed that Associated had amassed legal expenses amounting to £34.5 million ($64.7 million Cdn), while Prince Harry and the other claimants were covered by an insurance policy capped at £16 million ($30 million Cdn). The claimants’ lawyer, Nicholas Bacon, criticized the excessive nature of Associated’s legal bill, surpassing the agreed budget.
The decision on whether the claimants will appeal the ruling is pending. Prince Harry’s spokesperson refrained from commenting on the matter. The prince previously expressed disappointment over the court’s decision, labeling it as a “complete and obvious whitewash.”
Prince Harry and Meghan recently announced their plans to return to the UK, where they intend to enroll their children in school. After residing in southern California for the past six years, the couple’s decision to leave the UK and briefly stay in British Columbia had surprised the British media.
This legal dispute marks the final unresolved lawsuit in a series of litigations initiated by Prince Harry against tabloid publishers for alleged unlawful practices. In a prior case, Prince Harry was awarded £140,600 (about $240,430 Cdn) after the High Court established that he was a victim of phone-hacking and other illicit information gathering by journalists at Britain’s Mirror Group Newspapers.
In 2023, Prince Harry made history by becoming the first British royal in 130 years to provide testimony at a trial. Another significant case involving Rupert Murdoch’s News Group in the UK resulted in a formal apology to Prince Harry for phone hacking and privacy breaches carried out by journalists and private investigators. However, the court dismissed claims of a secretive arrangement between Murdoch’s newspaper group and Buckingham Palace to prevent royals from pursuing legal action.
The court’s decision document can be accessed below for further details.