Prince Harry among VIPs ordered to pay $13 million over failed privacy suit

Prince Harry, Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, Simon Hughes and Doreen Lawrence must pay Associated Newspapers 9.5 million pounds ($13 million) by August 28, an interim installment toward legal costs after losing their High Court privacy case in July. Justice Matthew Nicklin ruled the publisher's costs should be assessed on an unusually generous 'indemnity' basis, finding the litigation was pursued in a way 'well outside the norm' and calling the claimants' conduct 'unreasonable to a high degree.'

Associated Newspapers said its total defense costs reached about $47 million; the claimants had insured for roughly half that. Nicklin declined to cap what the publisher can ultimately recover, calling the costs 'exceptionally high' and unprecedented, with a specialist costs judge to determine the final figure if the parties can't agree.

The judge stressed he found no claimant acted dishonestly. Harry and Lawrence called the July ruling 'a complete and obvious whitewash,' while Associated Newspapers called it an overwhelming victory; any appeal must be filed by October 2.

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