Prince Harry is expected to hear the outcome of his court case against the publishers of The Daily Mail today, along with six other claimants. The Duke of Sussex, 41, was one of the claimants in the trial against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), accusing them of unlawful information gathering. ANL has consistently denied these claims.
Trial Duration and Timeline
The trial lasted 45 days at the Royal Courts of Justice, starting on January 19 and concluding on March 31. Evidence was heard from Harry, Sir Elton John, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence. Judge Mr Justice Nicklin is set to publish the verdict today. According to The Independent, the claim form was first filed in October 2022, meaning the verdict comes approximately 1,370 days after the initial filing.
Harry's Testimony and Articles in Question
Prince Harry took the witness box for two hours, during which he described feeling under “24-hour surveillance.” He claimed that 14 articles published by ANL between 2001 and 2013 were based on unlawfully gathered information. ANL denied any unlawful information gathering in those articles.
Legal Costs
The legal battle has been extremely expensive, with costs estimated at up to £38m, according to The Independent. Before the trial, all parties filed budgets: the claimants’ total budget was £18.7m, while ANL’s was £19.9m. After a costs management hearing, Judge Mr Justice Nicklin and Judge David Cook deemed the sums “manifestly excessive” and allowed budgets of £4.1m for the claimants and £4.4m for ANL. The actual costs may be higher.
