Thank you for subscribing!
The judge determine both the size of the upfront payment the claimants are required to make and the method by which the full costs were calculated
A High Court judge has ordered Prince Harry, Sir Elton John, Liz Hurley and four other prominent claimants to hand over an initial £9.54m to Associated Newspapers Limited following their defeat in a landmark privacy case. The payment must be made by August 28.
The group, which also includes David Furnish, Sir Simon Hughes, Sadie Frost and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, brought claims against the Daily Mail's publisher alleging unlawful information-gathering — accusations ANL strenuously denied throughout proceedings.
Mr Justice Nicklin set the interim sum after ANL sought more than £9.9m, whilst the claimants' legal team argued the figure should be approximately £7.9m.
The claims were thrown out on July 7 when Mr Justice Nicklin ruled that the high-profile group had not substantiated their allegations against the publisher.
Dozens of witnesses testified during the trial, with the Duke of Sussex travelling from the United States to appear in court personally.
Numerous serving and former ANL journalists and executives also took the stand, rejecting any suggestion of illegal conduct.
The interim payment is intended to cover costs ahead of further hearings that will determine the full extent of the legal bill owed to the publisher.
The final figure remains to be settled at those subsequent proceedings.
In a joint statement issued after last month's ruling, Prince Harry and Baroness Lawrence, whose son Stephen was murdered in 1993, said: "We came to Court seeking justice and accountability. But we have received neither."
They described the outcome as "a complete and obvious whitewash, but sadly not altogether unexpected."
The costs order lands just days after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed they intend to relocate back to Britain with their two children.
Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, have been enrolled at a school in the UK and are due to begin classes in September.
Mr Justice Nicklin previously indicated that the group would face a deadline of August 28 to transfer whatever amount he settles upon.
"They are going to be paying a sum of money that I will confirm in the judgment," the judge stated during earlier proceedings.
Nicholas Bacon KC, acting for the claimants, cautioned in written submissions that such a move could prove "very significant" and might leave the group without sufficient insurance coverage to meet the bill.
The ruling arrives just days after it was revealed on Wednesday that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex plan to relocate from California back to Britain later this month, settling in a non-royal property outside London more than six years after their departure.
