Prince Harry and Elton John Ordered to Pay $13 Million

Prince Harry, Elton John, and others have been ordered to pay $13 million to Daily Mail publishers after a failed lawsuit against unlawful information gathering.

Prince Harry looks set to carry a significant financial burden as he returns to the U.K. The royal, alongside Elton John and other high-profile individuals, has been ordered to pay an initial sum of £9.54 million after a court case against the publishers of the Daily Mail concluded with a ruling against them.

The publisher is seeking total costs amounting to £34.4 million. However, the judge, Justice Nicklin, has yet to determine the full amount to be paid, labeling the publisher’s request as ‘excessive.’ He ruled that costs should be assessed on an indemnity basis and decided against capping the total, arguing that doing so would create an ‘unfairness.’

The group had taken legal action against Associated Newspapers, alleging unlawful information gathering practices. Despite their efforts, the court dismissed the case entirely last month. In his extensive 436-page judgment, Justice Nicklin stated, ‘In significant respects, the case shifted from the pleaded allegation of lies to broader criticisms of Associated’s inquiries, disclosure and corporate response to the Leveson Inquiry.’ He emphasized, ‘This is not how allegations of this seriousness should be advanced.’

The verdict comes shortly after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made headlines announcing their imminent plans to return to the U.K. with their two children.

Alongside Harry, Elton John, and actress Elizabeth Hurley, several other notable figures, including John’s husband David Furnish, politician Simon Hughes, Sadie Frost, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, are also on the hook for the payment. The specific amount demanded by Associated Newspapers as an interim payment was reported to be in excess of £9.9 million, while the group’s legal representatives argued for a reduced payment of £7.9 million.

The proceedings featured numerous testimonies from witnesses, including Prince Harry himself, who traveled from the U.S. to appear in court.

Following the court’s ruling last month, both Harry and Lawrence, who lost her son Stephen to murder in 1993, issued a joint statement expressing their displeasure: ‘We came to Court seeking justice and accountability, but we have received neither. It is a complete and obvious whitewash, but sadly not altogether unexpected.’

In a recent response, Associated Newspapers characterized Justice Nicklin’s interim costs order as ‘a devastating critique of an attempt to destroy a newspaper and the reputations of its journalists, editors, and executives.’