Prince Harry and six others ordered to pay initial £9.5 million in Daily Mail costs

A High Court judge has ordered Prince Harry and six other high-profile claimants, including Sir Elton John and Liz Hurley, to pay an initial £9.54 million in legal costs to Associated Newspapers Limited, the publisher of the Daily Mail. The parties must meet the payment by 28 August and have until 2 October to consider an appeal.

Justice Nicklin described a claim for costs exceeding £34 million as "excessive" and expressed concerns about whether all of the newspaper’s claimed expenses were reasonable. He declined to set a ceiling on recoverable costs, noting that doing so would be "too broad brushed" and could be seen as arbitrary. The judge also criticised the claimants for not withdrawing serious allegations of wrongdoing that were not supported by evidence.

The publisher said the ruling was a "devastating critique of an attempt to destroy a newspaper and the reputations of its journalists, editors and executives". Prince Harry said he would "take the time necessary to consider both the substantive and the costs judgment and whether to pursue appeals". The claimants had insurance covering up to £16.2 million of the newspaper’s costs, but the court’s order could ultimately require them to cover as much as £34.5 million, potentially leaving a bill of around £18 million after insurance.