Prince Harry and six other public figures face privacy case legal bill of up to £34.5m to the publisher of the Daily Mail

Prince Harry and six other public figures, including Sir Elton John and Liz Hurley, are facing a potential legal bill of up to £34.5 million from the publisher of the Daily Mail after failing in their privacy case at the High Court. The seven claimants were ordered to pay an initial £9.54 million to Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) by next Friday.

The judge, Mr Justice Nicklin, criticized the claimants for presenting their claims as "unreasonable to a high degree" and stated that a costs award of £34.5 million was "excessive". ANL has insurance covering up to £16.2 million of its costs, but the ruling means it could now seek to recover the full £34.5 million. The claimants have until October 2 to appeal the decision.

If they decide to appeal, the financial impact could be up to £18 million for Prince Harry and the others. The judge emphasized the importance of withdrawing serious allegations of wrongdoing, stating that the claimants' failure to do so was unreasonable. ANL called the ruling "a devastating critique of an attempt to destroy a newspaper and the reputations of its journalists, editors, and executives".