Welcome Home, Harry: Prodigal Prince Is Hit With $13 Million Bill — Due in a Week — for Failed Case Against the Press

A ruling by a United Kingdom High Court that Prince Harry and other celebrity defendants must pay $13 million in legal fees to the publisher of the Daily Mail puts a damper on the announced return of the duke and duchess of Sussex to Britain.Justice Matthew Nicklin’s order mandates that the sum be paid by August 28. The judgment comes after the failure last month of a $67 million defamation suit against Associated Newspapers launched by, among others, Prince Harry and the singer Elton John. Prince Harry and his fellow litigants could yet be on the hook for a further $34 million, the remainder of the litigation costs.At the end of the 11-week trial at London, Prince Harry had failed to persuade Justice Nicklin to rule in his favor on even one out of 97 claims. Associated Newspapers touted the verdict as a “devastating critique of an attempt to destroy a newspaper and the reputations of its journalists, editors and executives.” Prince Harry called the verdict a “complete and obvious whitewash” that was “as shocking as it is totally unwarranted.”Justice Nicklin, though, reckoned that the conduct of Prince Harry and his fellow claimants “was unreasonable to a high degree” because they failed to “voluntarily” withdraw allegations that were no longer supported by the evidence. Associated Newspapers was accused of illegal tactics like phone hacking and other invasions of privacy. The Associated Press reckons that the judgment Justice Nicklin imposed on Prince Harry “is at the upper end of expectations and marks a vindication for the journalists at the Daily Mail and a defeat for the losing claimants and their lawyers.” Prince Harry likely has the resources to cover his share of the costs: The Sussexes signed a $100 million contract with Netflix, and a $20 million pact with Spotify. The prince also received a $20 million advance for his memoir, “Spare,” which smashed sales records.The royal watcher Tina Brown — who has edited the New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and the Daily Beast — scoops in her newsletter that the Duchess of Sussex intends to return to work as an actress once she returns to Britain — reportedly on season three of Netflix’s “The Gentlemen,” created by Guy Ritchie. Another royal watcher, Bronte Coy, tells BBC that the possibility of the duchess working again “is such a key part of the puzzle” of the Sussexes’ return to Blighty. Meghan is best known as an actress for her role on the legal drama “Suits.”Prince Harry has acknowledged that his pursuit of the press in court — which includes a victory in 2023 over the Mirror Group — has served as a wedge between him and the rest of the Royal Family, which has adopted a less combative approach. Prince Harry was at London when the verdict in the Associated Newspapers case was handed down, though the Crown, citing “staffing” concerns, rejected his request to stay at the 755-room Buckingham Palace, a decision the prince characterized as “disappointing.”Days later, a clandestine and 11th-hour summit was arranged at Highgrove House, the king’s private residence at Gloucestershire, among the Sussexes, the monarch, and Queen Camilla. Also in attendance were the Sussexes’ children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. What the Crown called a “private” occasion did not include Prince William and Princess Kate, who attended a polo tournament two hours away at Windsor.The king reportedly learned only on Sunday of his son’s intention to return to his realm after six years away at Montecito. There appear to be no plans for the Sussexes to resume their careers as “working royals,” which means that they will remain shorn of their “HRH” honorifics, royal patronages, and public funds. They also will remain bereft of comprehensive security, as the Home Office decided to provide protection on a contingent basis once they eschewed their formal role in the House of Windsor. One unresolved question is where the Sussexes will live when they return to Britain. They reportedly plan to retain their mansion at Montecito as well as another home in Portugal while also securing a private residence outside of London. They were ejected from a royal residence, Frogmore Cottage, in 2023.Ms. Brown surfaces the possibility that they will, at least temporarily, find refuge somewhere at the 13,000-acre Althorp estate, the ancestral home of Prince Harry’s mother’s family, the Spencers.

Welcome Home, Harry: Prodigal Prince Is Hit With $13 Million Bill — Due in a Week — for Failed Case Against the Press

Welcome Home, Harry: Prodigal Prince Is Hit With $13 Million Bill — Due in a Week — for Failed Case Against the Press

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