Prince Harry, Elton John ordered to pay Daily Mail owner 9.5 million pounds

A British judge has ordered Prince Harry, Elton John, and other celebrities to pay an initial 9.5 million pounds (11 million euros) to Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), the owner of the Daily Mail. This decision comes after the celebrities lost a lawsuit they initiated against the tabloid in early July.

The High Court in London heard that the plaintiffs, which also include actress Liz Hurley and Elton John's husband David Furnish, could not prove that the Daily Mail had intercepted voicemails or listened to phone conversations to gather information for approximately fifty articles published between 1993 and 2018. The legal battle has now shifted to the financial front, with ANL seeking compensation for a significant portion of the 34.5 million pounds (40 million euros) it claims to have spent over the four-year legal process.

On Friday, a High Court judge mandated the plaintiffs to make the first payment of 9.5 million pounds by August 28. The judge also rejected their request to cap the recoverable amount by ANL, although he described the publisher's claim as "exceptionally high" and "largely unexplained." The final compensation amount will be determined at a later date.

“

The truth is that these scandalous allegations should never have been brought.

An ANL spokesperson celebrated the ruling as a "resounding victory for the Mail and its journalism," adding, "The truth is that these scandalous allegations should never have been brought."

This ruling follows closely on the heels of an announcement that Prince Harry and his wife Meghan will return to the UK by the end of the month, with their children set to start school there in September. Following the trial in early July, Prince Harry had denounced the judgment as "incoherent" and "shocking." According to their lawyer, Nicholas Bacon, the plaintiffs have secured insurance covering up to 16.2 million pounds (19 million euros) in costs.

“

incoherent and shocking