Prince Harry Ordered to Pay 11 Million Euros in Legal Costs After Losing Daily Mail Case
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Prince Harry and six other plaintiffs must pay an initial 11 million euros in legal costs to the Daily Mail's publisher after losing a case over unlawful information gathering.
- The group accused the newspaper of obtaining personal information through illegal means between 1993 and 2018.
- The judge ruled their allegations were speculative and lacked sufficient evidence, with a deadline of August 28 for the initial payment.
Prince Harry, along with six other high-profile figures including Elton John and actresses Liz Hurley and Sadie Frost, has been ordered to pay an initial sum of 11 million euros (9.5 million pounds) in legal costs to Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail. This ruling comes after the group lost their case alleging unlawful information gathering by the newspaper.
The seven plaintiffs claimed that between 1993 and 2018, the Daily Mail illicitly obtained their personal details. Their accusations included intercepting voicemails, eavesdropping on calls, deception to access confidential records like medical data, and hiring private investigators.
the allegations made by Harry and the other six celebrities were 'speculative and essentially conjecture' because 'they lacked genuine evidence or proof'.
However, a London court, after an 11-week trial, found the accusations unsubstantiated. Judge Mark Nicklin stated that the allegations made by Harry and the other celebrities were "speculative and essentially conjecture" due to a "lack of genuine evidence."
Associated Newspapers celebrated the verdict, calling it a "devastating critique" of the attempt to "destroy a newspaper and the reputation of its journalists, editors and executives." The plaintiffs have until October 2 to appeal the decision. The initial payment of 9.5 million pounds is due by August 28, with the possibility of an additional 25 million pounds (29.1 million euros) in costs to follow.
a devastating critique of that attempt to destroy a newspaper and the reputation of its journalists, its editors and its executives.
Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.