Prince Harry and others ordered to pay Daily Mail £9.5m

The High Court in London has ordered Prince Harry and six other high-profile claimants to make an initial payment of £9,544,355 to the publisher of the Daily Mail after they lost a privacy case.

A published summary of Friday's costs decision said the payment to Associated Newspapers Limited must be made by 4:00 pm London time on August 28.

The order follows a July 7 ruling by Judge Matthew Nicklin, who found that the claimants had failed to prove their allegations of unlawful information gathering and privacy invasions after an 11-week trial.

The claimants, including Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, had accused the Mail's publisher of bugging cars and homes, listening to calls and accessing bank accounts and medical records. Associated Newspapers denied all the allegations.

Associated Newspapers said its total costs defending the case had reached about £34.5 million by July 9. The court described that figure as exceptionally high and unprecedented, and Nicklin said the claim appeared excessive and raised concerns about whether all the costs were reasonably incurred.

The court has not decided how much the claimants must ultimately pay. If the amount is not agreed, a costs judge will determine it separately.

Nicklin rejected the claimants' request for costs to be assessed on a standard basis and accepted the publisher's argument for an indemnity basis, which is expected to increase the share of costs the seven claimants are liable for.

The court also set a timetable for the claimants to request permission to appeal the July 7 decision. Any request must be filed by October 2.

After last month's ruling, Harry and campaigner Doreen Lawrence called the decision “a complete and obvious whitewash” in a joint statement.