Associated Newspapers Limited, the publisher of the Daily Mail, has demanded an initial payment of nearly £10 million from Prince Harry and six other claimants following the dismissal of their £50 million privacy lawsuit.
High Court Judge Justice Nicklin rejected all 97 claims, which involved allegations of phone hacking, voicemail interception, and deception, citing a lack of evidence.
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Prince Harry described the ruling as a "complete and obvious whitewash."
The publisher is now seeking to recover more than £50 million in legal costs incurred over the four-year litigation.
Associated Newspapers requested an initial payment of £9,950,624.37, while the claimants offered almost £8 million, which the publisher called a "generous offer."
The publisher is pursuing an indemnity order to remove limits on cost recovery.
Allegations of Unreasonable Conduct
The case involved testimony from 77 journalists and executives who were compelled to defend their reputations.
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Associated Newspapers accused the claimants of unreasonable conduct, including withholding documents, changing allegations, and relying on discredited evidence from private investigator Gavin Burrows.
The publisher also criticized the claimants for using the lawsuit to pressure the government on press reform, describing the initial public announcement as a "blaze of publicity" with highly emotive language.
Following the dismissal, Prince Harry and Baroness Doreen Lawrence released a statement challenging the judge's integrity and reaffirming their position that the ruling was unfair.
The claimants maintain that costs should be awarded on a standard basis.
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Prince Harry's legal representatives insisted he brought the claim in good faith and that the post-ruling statement was separate from the court case.
