Prince Harry and six other celebrities have been ordered to pay £9.5 million (about 1.1 billion rubles) to Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail, after losing a lawsuit against the company, the Daily Star reported.
Harry, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sir Elton John and other claimants had tried to prove that Associated Newspapers illegally gathered information about them. The judge overseeing the case dismissed the claim as speculative and lacking a proper evidentiary basis.
The claimants were ordered to pay the publisher an interim sum of £9.5 million by August 28. The final legal costs could end up being even higher, since the court ruled that costs would be assessed on an indemnity basis, meaning Associated Newspapers can seek reimbursement for expenses that exceed the approved budget.
Who is involved in the case
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is the younger son of King Charles III and stepped back from royal duties in 2020. Sir Elton John is a British singer and songwriter known for decades of chart-topping music, while Baroness Doreen Lawrence is a campaigner and member of the House of Lords who has long championed victims' rights following the murder of her son, Stephen Lawrence, in 1993. Associated Newspapers publishes the Daily Mail, one of Britain's best-known tabloids.
Insurance concerns and next steps
Observers noted that the sum will be paid out of the claimants' insurance fund, though representatives for the group have warned that additional costs could leave them without sufficient insurance coverage. The publisher described the ruling as a devastating rebuke of an attempt to damage the newspaper and the reputation of its journalists, editors and executives. If the two sides cannot agree on a final figure, a specialist costs judge will determine the amount.
Background with the royal family
The ruling comes as Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have reportedly decided to publicly apologize to King Charles III for the pain they caused him during years of estrangement. Discussion of a possible public apology began soon after the couple's recent trip to the United Kingdom, during which they met with the king.
