UK court orders Prince Harry, others to pay Daily Mail £9.5m

Prince Harry and six other prominent figures have been ordered by a UK court to pay an initial £9.5 million ($13 million) in legal costs after losing their privacy case against the publisher of the Daily Mail. The group must make the payment within a week, according to the court's decision.

The claimants, which included celebrities like Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, and Sadie Frost, had accused Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) of engaging in unlawful activities. These allegations included hiring private investigators to bug cars and homes, eavesdrop on phone calls, and access bank accounts and medical records.

ANL had denied all the accusations throughout the legal proceedings. Following an 11-week trial, Judge Matthew Nicklin ruled in favor of the publisher, stating that the claimants failed to prove their allegations. A subsequent hearing focused on the costs associated with the case.

While the court ordered the interim payment, ANL's total defense costs were reported to be around £34.5 million. The judge described this figure as "exceptionally high" and "unprecedented," raising concerns about whether all the claimed costs were reasonably incurred. The final amount the claimants will ultimately have to pay is yet to be determined.