Prince Harry and six other high-profile claimants could be ordered to pay legal costs of up to £50 mln after losing a landmark privacy lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail.
The UK High Court dismissed all claims against Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), ruling that the claimants failed to prove allegations of unlawful information gathering, including phone hacking, bugging and the misuse of private data. Judge Matthew Nicklin found there was insufficient evidence to support the accusations.
The case, which began in 2022, also involved celebrities including Sir Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost and Doreen Lawrence. ANL welcomed the ruling as a major victory for press freedom and confirmed it would seek to recover its legal costs, which are estimated to exceed £50 mln.
The judgment marks a significant setback for Prince Harry, who has led several legal battles against British newspaper publishers in recent years. While he previously secured victories and settlements in separate cases involving other media groups, this lawsuit against the Daily Mail publisher ended in defeat.
