Prince Harry, 6 Others Ordered to Pay $13M Over Failed Privacy Case

Justice Matthew Nicklin ordered Harry and six co-claimants to pay £9.5 million ($13 million) to Associated Newspapers Ltd on Friday. The ruling follows the July dismissal of all unlawful information-gathering claims against the Daily Mail publisher.

• £34.5 million total was spent by Associated Newspapers defending the 11-week trial.
• £16 million in insurance coverage is available to the claimants.
• August 28 is the deadline for the interim payment.
• Claimants include Elton John, David Furnish, Liz Hurley, Sadie Frost, Simon Hughes, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence.

Why it matters: The loss ends Harry's third tabloid lawsuit. He won against the Daily Mirror in 2023 and settled with The Sun last year, but found no relief against Associated Newspapers.

• Nicklin found a shortage of evidence supporting the claims and noted reporting may have come from legitimate sources.
• Harry and Lawrence said in a joint statement the outcome was "a complete and obvious whitewash."

How 32 sources split on this story

Where they split: Coverage does not split on the facts; all outlets report the same ruling and figures.

What’s next: A future hearing will set the final total legal costs the group must pay.

• The publisher seeks costs on an indemnity basis, which could raise the claimants' total liability.
• How much will each individual claimant owe once costs are apportioned at the final hearing?
• Will the claimants appeal any aspect of Nicklin's ruling?