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A UK High Court ordered Prince Harry and six other prominent figures on Friday to pay an initial £9.5 million ($13 million) in legal costs to Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL).
The order follows their defeat last month in a long-running privacy lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail.
Judge Matthew Nicklin set an August 28 deadline for the group—which includes singer Elton John, his husband David Furnish, and actors Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost—to submit the interim payment.
The High Court previously dismissed the group’s claims of unlawful information gathering, which included allegations that ANL bugged cars and intercepted phone calls.
Judge Nicklin criticised the group’s case as “speculative” and determined that the claimants pursued the litigation in a way that fell “well outside the norm.”
Consequently, the judge ordered the claimants to pay costs on a stricter indemnity basis, significantly increasing their financial liability beyond their combined £16.2 million insurance coverage.
While ANL estimates its total legal costs at approximately £34.5 million, Judge Nicklin described that total as “excessive” and noted that a specialised costs judge will determine the final recoverable amount if the parties cannot reach an agreement.
The High Court also established an October 2 deadline for the claimants to seek permission to appeal the July ruling.
