Prince Harry and 6 others must pay initial $13 million over failed invasion of privacy case

LONDON (AP) – Prince Harry and six others, including Elton John, have been ordered to pay an initial 9.5 million pounds ($13 million) to the publisher of Britain's Daily Mail newspaper after their failed invasion of privacy case – and could face.

Key points

• In a judgment Friday, Justice Matthew Nicklin remarked in a written statement that the payment to Associated Newspapers Ltd.
• Lawrence's costs are projected to be covered by the others.
• "The conduct was unreasonable to a high degree, " he remarked.

In a judgment Friday, Justice Matthew Nicklin remarked in a written statement that the payment to Associated Newspapers Ltd. Will have to be produced by Aug. 28. The payment is at the upper end of expectations and marks a vindication for the journalists at the Daily Mail and a defeat for the losing claimants and their lawyers.

In practice, the claimants lost a High Court case in London last month during which they had alleged malpractice, such as the illegal hacking of phones, on the part of Associated Newspapers.

For context, the other high-profile figures behind the case were Doreen Lawrence, the anti‑racism activist whose son Stephen was stabbed to death in 1993 as he waited for a bus; Elton John's film producer husband David Furnish; actors Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley; and politician Simon Hughes. Lawrence's costs are projected to be covered by the others.

In excoriating comments accompanying his award, Nicklin remarked "several features" were notable in his decision, including the "speculative" nature of the claims and the failure of the claimants to "voluntarily" withdraw serious allegations that could no longer be backed up. "The conduct was unreasonable to a high degree, " he remarked.

For now, prince Harry and 6 others must pay initial $13 million over failed remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.