Prince Harry seeks to appeal after losing case against UK tabloid

LONDON: Prince Harry has initiated a legal appeal following his recent loss in a privacy case against the Daily Mail, the fourth and final legal battle he has waged against British tabloids. The Duke of Sussex's case is a continuation of a contentious legal feud with the country's tabloid press. In August, the High Court ordered Harry and six others, including musician Elton John, to make an initial payment of £9.5 million (US$13 million) to Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) after ruling against them a month earlier.

The group, including Harry and the others, sought to appeal the judgment and costs ruling, arguing that it was legally and factually flawed, according to a statement from law firm Sheridans. The claimants, who also include John's husband David Furnish and actors Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, accused the Daily Mail of various privacy breaches, including bugging their cars and homes, and eavesdropping on their phone calls.

ANL had consistently denied all the allegations. This appeal bid follows Harry and his wife Meghan, 45, moving back to the UK in August, along with their two young children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5. The couple had left Britain and given up their royal duties in 2020 amid a highly publicized feud within the royal family. Following an emotional 11-week trial, during which Harry provided in-person testimony, Judge Matthew Nicklin sided with the Daily Mail in July, concluding that the claimants had not sufficiently substantiated their allegations.

After a subsequent two-day hearing over costs, the judge made the initial cost decision, while once again criticizing the claimants' case as "speculative." The High Court noted that ANL estimated its total legal defense costs reached around £34.5 million by July 9. However, it noted that the ruling did not determine how much of those costs the claimants would ultimately be required to pay, with that matter set to be decided at a separate hearing.

Nicklin dismissed Harry and the others' requests to pay for the costs, as reported by the New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd.