Prince Harry and six others ordered to pay £9.5 million in Daily Mail privacy case
A London judge ruled that Prince Harry and six co-claimants must pay an initial £9.5 million to Associated Newspapers, with the possibility of further costs, after their privacy lawsuit was dismissed.
A High Court judge in London ordered Prince Harry and six other claimants, including Elton John, to pay an initial £9.5 million (about $13 million) to Associated Newspapers Ltd., the publisher of the Daily Mail, for an unsuccessful privacy claim. Justice Matthew Nicklin said the payment must be made by Aug. 28 and described the claimants’ allegations as “speculative” and “unreasonable to a high degree.”
The publisher, which says it incurred more than £34 million in legal costs, may seek an additional £25 million from the claimants later. The claimants are insured for roughly half of the total amount. The judge declined to cap the liabilities, stating that a broad cap would risk unfairness.
Other high-profile claimants included anti-racism activist Doreen Lawrence, film producer David Furnish, actors Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley, and former Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes, who said he was “disappointed and surprised” that the costs were not limited. The claimants have until Oct. 2 to decide whether to appeal.
Associated Newspapers said the judgment was a “devastating critique of an attempt to destroy a newspaper and the reputations of its journalists, editors and executives,” adding that the claims should never have been brought. The decision follows Prince Harry’s recent announcement that he and Meghan Markle will return to the United Kingdom after six years in California.