Prince Harry and other prominent individuals have been ordered by London’s High Court to pay an interim sum of £9.54 million ($17.9 million Cdn) toward 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 Charles’s younger son and several others, refuting claims of unlawful activities by the Mail publications such as phone hacking.
Among the celebrities suing Associated Newspapers were singer Elton John, his Canadian spouse David Furnish, and actors Sadie Frost and Elizabeth Hurley. Other claimants included former Liberal Democratic MP Simon Hughes and anti-racism activist Doreen Lawrence, who rose to prominence after her son Stephen’s tragic death in 1993.
Nicklin criticized the claimants’ case, stating that serious allegations were based on speculative and inferential grounds, leading to an unreasonable conduct that deviated from the norm. Associated Newspapers hailed the court’s decision as a significant victory for journalism.
The ruling mandates the payment of outstanding costs on an “indemnity basis,” indicating that the losing party, including Prince Harry and the other claimants, must contribute to Associated’s legal fees without the need for the publisher to justify their reasonableness and proportionality.
During a hearing in July, it was revealed that Associated had amassed legal expenses totaling £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 exorbitant nature of Associated’s legal bill, which far exceeded the agreed budget.
No decision has been made regarding a potential appeal by the claimants. Prince Harry’s spokesperson declined to comment on the ruling, with the prince previously denouncing the court’s decision 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. This legal battle represents the final lawsuit in a series of litigations initiated by Prince Harry against tabloid publishers for employing unlawful tactics.
In a prior case, Prince Harry was granted £140,600 (about $240,430 Cdn) after the High Court determined that he was a victim of phone hacking and other illicit information gathering by journalists at Britain’s Mirror Group Newspapers. The court also dismissed an allegation suggesting a secret arrangement between Rupert Murdoch’s News Group and Buckingham Palace to prevent royals from pursuing legal actions.
Prince Harry’s testimony in 2023 marked the first instance of a British royal providing evidence in a trial in over a century. The legal battles underscore the ongoing struggle for privacy and transparency in the media landscape.