Prince Harry, Elton John Ordered to Pay £9.5 Million After Privacy Case Defeat

Prince Harry and six other high-profile claimants have been ordered to make an initial payment of £9.5 million (about $13 million) to Associated Newspapers, publisher of Britain's Daily Mail, after losing a major privacy case.

Justice Matthew Nicklin said in a written judgment on Friday that the payment must be made by August 28. The sum is at the upper end of expectations following the 11-week High Court trial, which ended in July.

The claimants had accused Associated Newspapers of unlawful practices, including phone hacking and the use of private investigators to obtain information about their private lives. However, Nicklin ruled last month that there was insufficient evidence to support their allegations and found that some of the newspaper group's reporting could have originated from legitimate sources.

Associated Newspapers has said its legal costs from the case exceeded £34 million, with the claimants expected to reimburse the remaining amount at a later date. They are reportedly insured for around half of the total costs. The other claimants were singer Elton John, his husband and film producer David Furnish, actors Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley, anti-racism campaigner Doreen Lawrence and politician Simon Hughes.

The defeat marks a setback for Harry, who has pursued several legal battles against Britain's tabloid press. He previously won a case against the publisher of the Daily Mirror, with a 2023 judgment finding evidence of widespread and habitual phone hacking. Last year, The Sun issued an unprecedented apology over intrusion into his private life and agreed to pay substantial damages to settle his lawsuit.

Harry has described his media litigation as part of a broader campaign to reform the British press, which he blames for damaging his relationships and contributing to intense scrutiny of his family. The latest judgment comes shortly after reports that Harry and Meghan are preparing to return to the UK, more than six years after relocating to California. The couple is expected to live in a private residence outside London, although they will remain non-working members of the Royal Family.

Harry has also repeatedly linked his distrust of the press to the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi.