Prince Harry Daily Mail legal costs
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Prince Harry and six others must pay £9.54m initial legal costs to Daily Mail publisher after.
The ruling sets a rare indemnity order, potentially raising total costs to £34.5m.
Background
Prince Harry, Elton John, Liz Hurley, and four others sued Associated Newspapers over alleged phone hacking and unlawful information gathering between 1993 and 2015. In July 2026, the High Court ruled against them, finding insufficient evidence. The publisher's legal costs reached £34.5m, and the judge ordered an initial payment of £9.54m on an indemnity basis, meaning the claimants must pay without the publisher proving reasonableness.
How it unfolded
- Jul 7, 2026High Court judge Matthew Nicklin ruled against the claimants, saying there was a shortage of evidence and that reporting may have come from legitimate sources.
- Jul 2026Associated Newspapers incurred legal costs of £34.5m; claimants had insurance covering £16m.
- Aug 21, 2026Judge ordered claimants to pay £9.54m initial costs by Aug 28, on an indemnity basis, with no cap on total costs.
- Oct 2, 2026Claimants have until this date to attempt an appeal.
Who’s saying what
- Judge
- The case was pursued in a 'cavalier' and 'highly unreasonable and inexcusable' fashion, justifying an indemnity order.
- Claimants' lawyer
- Associated's £34.5m legal bill is 'eye-watering' and far exceeding an agreed budget; it would be unjust to award indemnity costs.
- Publisher
- The claims raised 'disturbing questions about the conduct of elements of the legal profession'.
Still unverified
Claims that Associated Newspapers wanted to 'teach the claimants a lesson' were reported but not confirmed.