Prince Harry, Elton John and several other prominent figures are facing an initial legal bill of about $13 million after losing a major privacy lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail.
The group was ordered by a U.K. High Court judge to make an initial payment toward the legal costs incurred by Associated Newspapers, the company behind the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and MailOnline.
The lawsuit alleged that the publisher and people working for it had used unlawful methods to obtain private information for stories published over many years. The claimants argued that their privacy had been repeatedly violated.
The group included Prince Harry, Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, Doreen Lawrence and former politician Simon Hughes.
However, the court rejected their claims, finding that the evidence presented did not establish that Associated Newspapers had unlawfully gathered information about the claimants in the ways alleged.
The latest ruling focuses on the financial consequences of the failed case. The roughly $13 million payment is an interim amount, meaning the final legal bill could be significantly higher after costs are assessed.
The case represents another major legal setback for Prince Harry, who has pursued several lawsuits against British media organizations over alleged privacy violations and unlawful reporting practices.
Harry has previously secured victories in other cases involving the British press, making the outcome of this lawsuit particularly significant.
For Elton John and the other claimants, the ruling also closes another chapter in a lengthy legal battle over privacy and the conduct of the British tabloid industry.
The claimants may still have the option of appealing aspects of the judgment, meaning the dispute could continue through the U.K. courts.
The case has attracted international attention because it sits at the intersection of celebrity privacy, press freedom and the growing willingness of public figures to challenge major media organizations in court.
