Prince Harry and six other prominent individuals, including musician Elton John, are set to learn the initial financial payout they will owe to the publisher of Britain's Daily Mail newspaper after losing a high court case alleging privacy invasion. The group sought damages from Associated Newspapers Ltd. for alleged malpractice, including illegal phone hacking.
In a High Court ruling last month, Justice Matthew Nicklin found a shortage of evidence to support the claimants' allegations and suggested that reporting might have originated from legitimate sources. Associated Newspapers Ltd. had strongly denied the claims made during the 11-week trial in London.
On Friday, the claimants will discover the scale of their exposure to the approximately 34 million pounds ($46 million) in legal costs accumulated by the publisher. While the losing claimants are believed to be insured for about half of that total, Associated Newspapers has requested an interim payment of over 9.9 million pounds. Lawyers for the claimants, however, are seeking an interim payment of just over 7.9 million pounds.
The other high-profile figures involved in the lawsuit include Doreen Lawrence, an anti-racism activist; David Furnish, Elton John's husband; actors Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley; and politician Simon Hughes.
This judgment concludes a series of lawsuits Prince Harry has pursued against tabloid publishers. In 2023, he won a case against publishers of the Daily Mirror, which was condemned for “widespread and habitual” phone hacking. Separately, Rupert Murdoch's The Sun newspaper issued an apology and agreed to pay substantial damages to settle Harry's privacy invasion lawsuit last year.
Prince Harry has stated that his legal actions, which marked a departure from royal tradition, contributed to his falling out with his father, King Charles III, and his brother, Prince William. He has articulated a deep-seated grievance with tabloid journalism, citing its role in damaging his relationships and causing him significant distress. Harry has attributed the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in a 1997 car crash while being pursued by paparazzi, and the relentless attention on his wife, Meghan Markle, to the press, which he says led the couple to abandon royal duties and relocate to the United States in 2020.