Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, has requested an interim payment of nearly £10 million ($13.3 million) from Prince Harry and six other claimants after their High Court privacy case was dismissed in July 2025.
All claims brought by Prince Harry (Duke of Sussex), Sir Elton John, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Elizabeth Hurley, David Furnish, Sadie Frost, and Sir Simon Hughes against Associated Newspapers were dismissed by Mr Justice Nicklin on 7 July 2025. The trial lasted 11 weeks.
Total legal costs reported by Associated Newspapers as of 9 July 2025.
Associated Newspapers applied for an interim payment of £9,950,624.37 from the claimants. The claimants had combined insurance cover of £16.2 million and offered to pay an interim payment of £8 million, according to reports.
Associated Newspapers argued that the claimants acted unreasonably, justifying costs on an indemnity basis. The claimants' lawyers countered that the claimants acted honestly and in good faith.
Antony White KC represented Associated Newspapers, and Nicholas Bacon KC represented the claimants. The judge's ruling was 426 pages long.
A complete and obvious whitewash.
According to reports, ANL's lawyers stated that the allegations involved serious criminal conduct against 77 journalists, editors, and executives, but only 23 were directly involved in the claims. Prince Harry and Doreen Lawrence issued a post-trial statement attacking the judge.