Prince Harry and several other prominent individuals have been ordered by London’s High Court to pay an interim sum of £9.54 million ($17.9 million Cdn) towards the legal expenses of the Daily Mail’s publisher after losing their privacy lawsuits. The ruling came after Judge Matthew Nicklin dismissed the case brought by Prince Harry and others, which alleged that the Mail titles had been involved in illegal activities like phone hacking.
Notable personalities such as Elton John, David Furnish, Sadie Frost, Elizabeth Hurley, Simon Hughes, and Doreen Lawrence were among those suing Associated Newspapers. The court criticized the claimants’ case, stating that serious allegations were based on speculative and inferential grounds.
Associated Newspapers hailed the ruling as a victory for journalism. The court specified that the outstanding amount must be paid on an “indemnity basis,” meaning the claimants must contribute to the legal costs without the publisher having to justify the expenses.
During a hearing in July, it was revealed that Associated had incurred legal costs of £34.5 million ($64.7 million Cdn), while the claimants had coverage for only £16 million ($30 million Cdn) through an insurance policy. The possibility of an appeal by the claimants remains undecided.
Prince Harry did not comment on the ruling, but earlier referred to the court’s decision as a “complete and obvious whitewash.” He and Meghan recently announced their plan to return to the UK for their children’s education after residing in California.
This legal battle is the final lawsuit in a series of litigations Prince Harry initiated against tabloid publishers for employing illicit tactics. Previously, he received compensation after the High Court found him to be a victim of phone hacking and other unlawful information gathering by Mirror Group Newspapers. The court had also rejected claims of a secret agreement between Murdoch’s newspaper group and Buckingham Palace to prevent royals from pursuing legal actions.