Prince Harry and other prominent individuals have been ordered by London’s High Court to make an interim payment 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. The ruling by judge Matthew Nicklin last month decisively rejected the claims made by Prince Harry, Elton John, David Furnish, Sadie Frost, Elizabeth Hurley, and others, which alleged that the Mail titles engaged in unlawful activities such as phone hacking.
The court criticized the claimants for the way their case was presented, noting that serious allegations were based on speculative and inferential grounds. As a result, the court deemed the conduct of the claimants as highly unreasonable.
Associated Newspapers hailed the court decision as a significant victory for the Mail and its journalism. The ruling stipulates that the outstanding amount must be paid on an indemnity basis, meaning that Prince Harry and the other claimants are required to contribute to Associated’s legal costs without the publisher having to justify the reasonableness of these costs.
During a hearing in July, it was revealed that Associated had amassed a legal bill of £34.5 million ($64.7 million Cdn), while the claimants had an insurance policy covering only £16 million ($30 million Cdn). The claimants’ lawyer expressed concern over the exorbitant nature of Associated’s legal expenses, which far exceeded the agreed budget.
No decision has been made yet on whether the claimants will appeal the ruling. Prince Harry’s spokesperson declined to comment on the court decision. Earlier this year, Prince Harry described the outcome of the case as a “complete and obvious whitewash.”
In a separate case, Prince Harry was previously awarded £140,600 (about $240,430 Cdn) after the High Court found that he had been a victim of phone hacking and other unlawful information gathering by journalists at Mirror Group Newspapers.
The current legal battle marks the final outstanding litigation in a series of lawsuits filed by Prince Harry against tabloid publishers for using unlawful tactics. Prince Harry made history in 2023 as the first British royal to give evidence at a trial in 130 years during the proceedings.
In another high-profile case involving Rupert Murdoch’s News Group, an apology was issued to Prince Harry for phone hacking, surveillance, and misuse of private information. The court, however, rejected allegations of a secret agreement between Murdoch’s newspaper group and Buckingham Palace to prevent royals from pursuing legal action.
The ruling underscores a significant development in the ongoing legal disputes involving Prince Harry and other public figures.