Prince Harry and Elton John suffered a blow in court - and then the bill arrived

The London High Court ordered Prince Harry, Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, and six other plaintiffs to pay £9.54 million as an advance on legal costs to the publisher of the Daily Mail, Associated Newspapers, after their lawsuit over illegal information gathering was dismissed. Judge Matthew Nicklin criticized the management of the case, calling some claims speculative and noting that the plaintiffs continued to raise serious allegations even after their evidentiary basis weakened. The final costs could be higher, with the publisher claiming total expenses of around £34.5 million.

The London High Court has ordered Prince Harry, Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, and six other plaintiffs to pay £9.54 million (approximately $13 million) as an advance on the legal costs of the publisher Associated Newspapers, which publishes the Daily Mail. The amount must be paid by August 28, following the dismissal of their lawsuit over illegal information gathering and invasion of privacy. The final sum could be higher, with the publisher claiming its total costs amount to around £34.5 million. Judge Matthew Nicklin ruled that a significant portion of the costs would be calculated under an indemnity basis, making it difficult for the plaintiffs to contest the amounts. He sharply criticized the management of the case, describing the basis for some claims as speculative and based on inference, and noted that the plaintiffs continued to raise serious allegations of misconduct even after their evidentiary basis weakened. In his view, this conduct was highly unreasonable.