Prince Harry, Others Ordered to Pay £9.5 Million After Losing Daily Mail Lawsuit

Prince Harry and six other prominent individuals have been ordered to pay an initial sum of £9.5 million after losing their High Court case against the publisher of the Daily Mail. The claimants had accused Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL) of unlawfully obtaining private information about them.

The group, which included figures like Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Sir Elton John, alleged that ANL used illegal methods, such as phone tapping, bugging cars with private investigators, and fraudulently obtaining information from private records. They claimed these actions were carried out to gather information for articles published by the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday between 1997 and 2015.

ANL vehemently denied the accusations throughout the 45-day trial. In July, the judge dismissed all claims, ruling that none of the seven claimants had proven that the publisher resorted to unlawful information gathering. ANL hailed the verdict as a "stunning victory" for the newspaper, asserting that the ruling confirmed the contested articles were based on legitimate sources.

Following the verdict, the court addressed the issue of legal costs. ANL reported spending over £34.5 million on its defense. While the claimants' insurance policy covered £16 million, ANL sought an interim payment of nearly £10 million. The claimants' lawyers argued for a lower amount. Ultimately, the judge set the interim payment at £9,544,355, payable by August 28th. This is an initial payment, with final costs to be determined later, though the judge deemed ANL's full claim of approximately £35 million excessive.