Prince Harry faces crucial wait in £34M court costs battle

The highly contentious legal struggle between Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL)-the owner of The Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday-has reached its dramatic conclusion with a groundbreaking decision handed down in the High Court of London.

Mr Justice Nicklin, who presided over the case, dismissed all 97 claims of unlawful information gathering leveled against ANL by the Duke and six other prominent individuals, setting the stage for potentially historic legal bills for the group.

The High Court Ruling: ‘Suspicion Is not Proof’

The legal action, initiated by Prince Harry along with public figures including Sir Elton John, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, and Elizabeth Hurley, purported that there had been widespread unlawful conduct stretching over decades. These claims included alleged phone hacking, tapping of landline telephones, the planting of covert listening devices in vehicles and residences, and the illicit payment of funds to private investigators.

However, after an 11-week trial, Mr Justice Nicklin delivered a lengthy written judgment of 436 pages, concluding that the claimants could not substantiate their allegations.

“The claimants failed to prove their pleaded allegations… Suspicion, even understandable suspicion, is not proof.” – Mr Justice Nicklin, High Court Judge

Associated Newspapers Limited consistently denied all wrongdoing throughout the legal process, maintaining that its journalists acted ethically in sourcing stories, using legitimate means of reporting.

The Multi-Million Pound Legal Costs Dispute

Following the overall dismissal of the case, all eyes are on the financial ramifications. Associated Newspapers Limited stated that their legal costs alone amount to over £34.5 million, and has applied to recover substantial sums from the claimants.

What this means financially:

ANL asked for an interim payment of over £9.9 million for its defense costs to date.

The legal teams for Prince Harry and the other claimants, however, described this as ‘manifestly excessive’, and argued the figure should not exceed £7.9 million.

The court has ordered that the claimants must make the interim payment by August 28, 2026, and a subsequent written judgment will provide the final assessment.

While this decision concludes Prince Harry’s case against Associated Newspapers over phone hacking, it represents a stark contrast to his previous victory against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), the publisher of The Daily Mirror, The Sunday Mirror, and The Sunday People. In December 2023, the High Court awarded him significant damages for phone hacking.

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The ongoing cost assessment is a crucial component of this ruling, a moment that undoubtedly defines the protracted feud between the Royal family and the British tabloid media.