A UK High Court judge has ordered Prince Harry, Sir Elton John, Liz Hurley, and four others to pay an initial £9.54 million in legal costs to Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers Limited after their privacy lawsuit was dismissed.
Seven high-profile figures, including the Duke of Sussex and Sir Elton John, have been ordered to make an initial payment of £9.54 million to Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) following their unsuccessful High Court privacy case. The payment is due by 28 August, with the possibility of substantially larger sums owed thereafter. Judge Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed the claimants' allegations of unlawful information-gathering on 7 July, ruling that they had failed to prove their claims against the newspaper publisher.
The financial consequences are substantial. ANL has claimed total legal costs of approximately £34.5 million, though Justice Nicklin described this figure as "excessive" and expressed concerns about whether all costs were reasonably incurred. The claimants held insurance covering up to £16.2 million of ANL's costs, meaning they could potentially face bills reaching £18 million personally. The judge ruled that costs should be determined on an indemnity basis, which favours the publisher in cost recovery calculations.
Justice Nicklin was particularly critical of how the case was conducted, describing the claimants' approach as "unreasonable to a high degree." He noted that not a single serious allegation was voluntarily withdrawn during proceedings, allowing accusations of criminality and grave impropriety to remain unresolved. The claimants, who also included Sir Simon Hughes, Sadie Frost, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, have until 2 October to pursue an appeal.
Following the ruling, Prince Harry and Baroness Doreen Lawrence released a joint statement characterizing the outcome as "a complete and obvious whitewash." Sir Simon Hughes told the BBC he was "disappointed" and was considering whether to appeal. ANL welcomed the decision as validation of its journalists and executives, all of whom denied illegal activity during the trial.
