Prince Harry, Six Others Ordered to Pay $13M in Failed Privacy Case

A British High Court judge has ordered Prince Harry and six other prominent figures to pay an initial £9.5 million (about $13 million) to the publisher of the Daily Mail, following the collapse of their invasion of privacy lawsuit. The payment, mandated by Justice Matthew Nicklin, is due by August 28.

The ruling comes after an 11-week trial in London that concluded on July 7. In his judgment, Justice Nicklin stated that the claimants had failed to provide sufficient evidence to support their allegations, and noted that the reporting in question may have originated from legitimate sources. The publisher had consistently denied the accusations throughout the proceedings.

The case was brought by a group of high-profile individuals, including Elton John and his husband, filmmaker David Furnish. Other claimants were Doreen Lawrence, whose son Stephen was murdered in 1993; actors Sadie Frost and Elizabeth Hurley; and former politician Simon Hughes. All were seeking damages over alleged unlawful information gathering by the newspaper.

The initial payment represents only part of the legal costs, with further financial implications possible. The judgment marks a significant setback for the claimants, who had pursued the case over several years.