Harry returns to UK as hefty Daily Mail legal bill lands

Prince Harry’s return to the United Kingdom comes at a particularly sensitive time. As the Duke of Sussex prepares to spend more time in the country with his wife Meghan Markle and their children Archie and Lilibet, a serious consequence of his legal battle against the Daily Mail’s publishing group has arrived from the High Court in London: Harry and the other six claimants must pay a total of £9.54 million, around €11 million, as an initial payment towards the publisher’s legal costs.

The sum is not linked to the Sussexes’ move to the United Kingdom, but to their defeat in the case against Associated Newspapers, the group that publishes the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline. Harry, Elton John, David Furnish, Liz Hurley and the other key figures in the proceedings had accused the publisher of having violated their privacy over many years through alleged unlawful methods used to obtain information about their private lives.

The case, however, ended in defeat for the seven claimants. Now the bill is arriving, for the moment only a partial one.

Harry and the others ordered to pay £9.5 million

Mr Justice Matthew Nicklin has ruled that the seven must pay £9.54 million as an advance on the legal costs incurred by Associated Newspapers. The amount works out at around £1.36 million per claimant, although the actual allocation of the sum will depend on subsequent agreements and decisions.

The publishing group had asked for much more: a total of £34.5 million. A demand the judge described as excessive. Within three months Associated Newspapers must submit to the Court a detailed breakdown of the costs incurred, and it will then be decided how much must actually be reimbursed.

The final bill could therefore be significantly higher than the £9.54 million already requested.

The claimants also have insurance cover of up to about £16.2 million. If the ultimate costs were to exceed that threshold, however, any excess could end up being borne by those involved.

Harry and the others have until 2 October to lodge any appeal against the decision, although permission to proceed is not automatic.

The battle against the tabloid press

For Harry, the affair marks a new chapter in his long-running war with the British media. In recent years the prince has brought several legal actions against the tabloids, winning some of them.

In this case, however, the judge dismissed the allegations levelled at the Daily Mail group. The publisher has welcomed the verdict as a powerful vindication of its position, arguing that the ruling amounts to a devastating rebuke to the attempt to challenge the newspaper and the reputation of its journalists and executives.

The decision comes just as Harry is beginning to look towards the United Kingdom with different prospects compared with the years he has spent in California.

Harry and Meghan return to the United Kingdom

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have decided to spend more time in the United Kingdom and to send their children Archie and Lilibet to a British school. The couple will nonetheless retain their base in the United States, at their home in Montecito.

Their return does not, however, mean a comeback to the Royal Family as working members. Harry and Meghan gave up their official duties in 2020 and relations with the family remain marked by the tensions of recent years.

Relations with Prince William remain particularly sensitive. The prospect of the younger brother returning to live in the United Kingdom on a more permanent basis would bring Harry much closer to the royal family again, after years of distance and public statements that have fuelled tensions.

The security issue

And then there is another question, this time directly linked to the return to the United Kingdom: security.

After stepping back from official duties, Harry lost the automatic right to state-funded protection and launched a long legal battle to secure an appropriate level of security once again.

If he does return to the country on a more settled basis, the situation could be reassessed by the authorities in light of the new circumstances and the level of risk. According to some estimates reported in the British press, a security detail could cost up to £5 million, around €5.8 million, inevitably fuelling debate about any use of public money.

It is therefore a return full of uncertainties for the Sussexes: the case against the Daily Mail is presenting the bill on the financial front, while the move to Britain is reopening the security file and, in the background, that of relations with the royal family.

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