Prince Harry and six co-claimants have been ordered to pay more than £9.5m (€11.1m) to the publisher of the Daily Mail by the end of next week, after a High Court judge ruled on the first tranche of legal costs arising from their unsuccessful case.
The group, which includes singer Elton John and actresses Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley, brought proceedings against Associated Newspapers Ltd over claims that information about them had been obtained unlawfully.
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At the High Court in London, the seven claimants were told to pay £9,544,355 by Friday, 28 August. The sum represents an initial payment towards the publisher’s legal costs, with further hearings expected to establish the final amount.
The figure was near the £9.9m (€11.6m) interim payment requested by Associated Newspapers, which also publishes the Mail On Sunday. Lawyers representing the claimants had argued for a lower payment of about £7.9m (€9.2m).
The dispute over costs returned to the High Court this week during a two-day hearing, with Associated Newspapers’ total legal bill exceeding £34m (€39.7m).
“The claimants and their advisers have been on notice, since the hearing, that this would be the date for payment on account,” Mr Justice Nicklin said today.
He described the claims as “speculative and substantially inferential”, concluding that they “lacked a proper evidential foundation”.
Mr Justice Nicklin also ruled that the publisher’s costs should be assessed on an indemnity basis, a method sought by Associated Newspapers that can result in a larger recovery of legal expenses.
During the previous month, Nicholas Bacon KC, representing the seven claimants, cautioned that the decision could be “very significant” and might leave his clients without sufficient insurance cover.
Associated Newspapers welcomed the judgment as “another overwhelming victory for the Mail and its journalism”, saying it amounted to “a devastating critique of an attempt to destroy a newspaper and the reputations of its journalists, editors and executives”.
A spokesperson for the publisher said: “The truth is that these outrageous claims should never have been brought. That they were pursued raises disturbing questions about the conduct of elements of the legal profession.”
The ruling followed the announcement on Wednesday that Harry and his wife, former actress Mehgan Markle, are preparing to return to the UK.
The couple left for California more than six years ago during the Megxit crisis. They are expected to move back later this month, taking up residence outside London in a home that is not part of the royal estate.
