LONDON, United Kingdom — Prince Harry, singer Elton John and five other high-profile claimants have been ordered to make an interim payment of £9.54 million toward the legal costs of the publisher of the Daily Mail after losing their privacy lawsuit over alleged unlawful information gathering.
The payment, ordered by High Court Judge Matthew Nicklin on Friday, is due by August 28 and represents an initial contribution toward the legal expenses of Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. The judge also ruled that the publisher could recover its costs on an indemnity basis, a more demanding costs order that does not require Associated Newspapers to demonstrate that the expenses were reasonable and proportionate.
The ruling follows the court’s July 7 dismissal of the claimants’ case in its entirety. Harry, John, David Furnish, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost and journalist and broadcaster Sir Simon Hughes had accused Associated Newspapers of using unlawful methods to obtain private information, including phone hacking, accessing private records and employing private investigators. The publisher denied the allegations.
Justice Nicklin found that the claimants had failed to establish their allegations to the required standard of proof. In his costs judgment, he criticized the way the case had been pursued, describing the claimants’ conduct as highly unreasonable and saying that substantial parts of their case rested on speculation and inference rather than sufficiently supported evidence.
Associated Newspapers told the court that its total legal costs had reached about £34.5 million. The claimants had insurance coverage of about £16 million, meaning the costs could ultimately exceed the amount available under their policies. The final amount they will be required to pay has yet to be determined.
The case began in October 2022, when the seven claimants jointly sued Associated Newspapers. They alleged that the publisher had engaged in a long-running pattern of unlawful information gathering, including intercepting communications, obtaining confidential information and using private investigators to gather material about their personal lives. Associated Newspapers strongly rejected the allegations and argued that its journalism had been conducted lawfully.
Harry’s involvement formed part of his broader campaign against what he regards as intrusive and unlawful practices by Britain’s tabloid press. His relationship with the British media has been particularly contentious since the death of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in a 1997 Paris car crash while being pursued by paparazzi.
Harry has previously won significant legal actions against British publishers. In 2023, he reached a settlement with Mirror Group Newspapers after suing over unlawful information gathering, and the High Court subsequently ruled that journalists working for the publisher had used unlawful information-gathering methods in relation to some stories about him. He has also pursued cases against other British media organizations over privacy and defamation.
His latest defeat therefore represents a significant setback in his long-running legal campaign against the British press. Reuters reported that Harry previously described the July ruling as a “whitewash,” while Associated Newspapers characterized the judgment as a major victory for its journalism. No decision on an appeal of the latest ruling had been announced as of Friday.
The case has also renewed debate in Britain over the limits of investigative journalism, privacy rights and the evidentiary burden required when public figures accuse media organizations of unlawful conduct.
For Associated Newspapers, the judgment provides a strong legal defense against allegations that its newspapers systematically relied on illegal methods to obtain stories. For Harry and the other claimants, the immediate consequence is a substantial financial liability, with the final costs potentially running into tens of millions of pounds.
The legal dispute also comes at a significant moment for Harry, who has continued to divide his time between the United States and Britain. His legal battles with the British media remain closely watched because of his prominent position within the royal family and his repeated calls for stronger protections against intrusive press practices.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
