Associated Newspapers Ltd. (ANL), publisher of the Daily Mail, is demanding an initial payment of £10 million from Prince Harry and six other claimants to cover its legal expenses following its victory in a high-profile privacy lawsuit. This demand comes after Justice Matthew Nicklin dismissed the claims made by Harry, Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, and others, who accused ANL of unlawful information gathering.
The judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support the allegations that the Daily Mail engaged in activities such as voicemail interception, phone hacking, and obtaining personal information through deception. ANL had consistently denied these claims, asserting that its journalists relied on legitimate sources like friends and royal aides for their reporting. The publisher described the dismissal of the lawsuit as an "overwhelming victory" and a "magnificent vindication" of its journalism.
While the £10 million is an interim payment, the total legal costs for both sides for years of case preparation and an 11-week trial were estimated by ANL to be above £50 million ($67 million). The court has not yet determined the final allocation of costs or the individual amounts owed by each claimant. A hearing to address these orders, including disputed costs, is scheduled for July 29 and 30.
This outcome marks a significant defeat for Prince Harry in his ongoing legal battles against British tabloids, though he had previously won cases against the publishers of the Daily Mirror and The Sun. Harry, along with fellow claimant Doreen Lawrence, expressed strong dissatisfaction with the ruling, calling it a "complete and obvious whitewash." Media lawyer Mark Stephens noted that Harry's first significant loss was likely due to a lack of concrete evidence, unlike in his previous successful lawsuits.
