There’s no way around it, the loss of the Daily Mail lawsuit is extremely bad news for Prince Harry. It’s also bad news for the other litigants, including Elton John, David Furnish, Sadie Frost, Elizabeth Hurley and Baroness Lawrence. Obviously, 99% of the attention, outrage and derangement is being focused solely on Harry though. One of the weirdest things is that everyone in the British media is acting like the costs of the lawsuit – reportedly between $53-67 million – will fall solely on Harry. Many of Harry’s defenders are claiming that he and his co-plaintiffs were all insured, but I can’t find any information about the insurance policies. There will be a hearing in late July to determine who owes what for all of these legal fees. In the meantime, the usual suspects are gleeful that Harry is finally “broke.”
Prince Harry has suffered the “most complete” and “totally self-inflicted humiliation” of his career during his doomed return to the United Kingdom, according to a pair of royal experts. “What has happened today, it’s a cataclysmic disaster,” said the Daily Beast’s royal expert and European editor-at-large, Tom Sykes, on The Royalist podcast.
In a stinging blow to Harry, a judge in Britain dismissed every claim in a lawsuit that the Duke of Sussex and six celebrity co-claimants brought against the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, meaning his six-year-long war with the British tabloids ended in defeat.
Sykes added that the judgment lands at an “absolutely terrible time for Harry, just as it appears that King Charles has finally run out of patience with his errant son, denying him rooms at Buckingham Palace.”
Harry was in the U.K. on what was supposed to be a triumphant homecoming when the verdict landed. But the trip had already descended into embarrassing chaos on Monday, when his team announced he had accepted an offer to stay at Buckingham Palace, only for the palace to say minutes later that the offer had been withdrawn.
Valentine Low, a former royal correspondent for The Times, argued that Harry’s latest courtroom defeat is also the one that hurts most.
“The Mail was the target he really had in his sights, and it meant a lot to him. And to lose that one and to lose it so comprehensively is very wounding,” Low told Sykes.
Harry’s lawsuit also came with a painful price tag, with the combined legal costs from the 11-week, 45-day trial estimated at around $53.5 million. The ruling leaves Harry and his co-claimants—Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, and Sir Simon Hughes—to cover their own legal expenses and pay millions toward the Mail’s costs.
“Meghan’s going to have to sell a whole lot more jam. I’m serious,” Low quipped, referring to the Duchess of Sussex’s troubled jam business venture. “Harry’s not got that kind of money. So, one does wonder, you know… who’s bankrolling this court case because there’s no way Harry’s got all those millions to pay all those legal costs.”
Between insurance, the fact that the costs are spread out between six people, and the possibility that the court costs might be reduced, I doubt Harry would end up out of pocket for anything more than $10 million? But again, I have no insider knowledge, that’s just me talking out of my ass. And Harry actually does have that kind of money, although it’s definitely a financial blow. They really got him, didn’t they? A decade of the most deranged BS I’ve ever seen in my life, and this is how they got him. This is how they hurt him.
Look at at the media insanity outside of his event yesterday in London:
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red.
-
- Prince Harry departs after attending an Invictus Games event at Chatham House in London, England, UK on Tuesday 7 July, 2026,Image: 1115054898, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no , Credit line: Justin Ng/Avalon
-
- Prince Harry departs after attending an Invictus Games event at Chatham House in London, England, UK on Tuesday 7 July, 2026,Image: 1115054853, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no , Credit line: Justin Ng/Avalon
-
- Prince Harry departs after attending an Invictus Games event at Chatham House in London, England, UK on Tuesday 7 July, 2026,Image: 1115054866, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no , Credit line: Justin Ng/Avalon
-
- Prince Harry departs after attending an Invictus Games event at Chatham House in London, England, UK on Tuesday 7 July, 2026,Image: 1115054870, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no , Credit line: Justin Ng/Avalon
-
- Prince Harry departs after attending an Invictus Games event at Chatham House in London, England, UK on Tuesday 7 July, 2026,Image: 1115054889, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no , Credit line: Justin Ng/Avalon
-
- London, UNITED KINGDOM Prince Harry Leaving Chatham House in London under the gazes of the media. Pictured: Prince Harry BACKGRID USA 7 JULY 2026 BYLINE MUST READ: J.A. / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- London, UNITED KINGDOM Prince Harry Leaving Chatham House in London under the gazes of the media. Pictured: Prince Harry BACKGRID USA 7 JULY 2026 BYLINE MUST READ: J.A. / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- London, UNITED KINGDOM Prince Harry Leaving Chatham House in London under the gazes of the media. Pictured: Prince Harry BACKGRID USA 7 JULY 2026 BYLINE MUST READ: J.A. / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
I wonder if the media are blowing this up to try to bait them to bringing the kids to the UK? Photos of their faces would be everywhere, destroying their privacy for years to come, but it would change the story.
Also, are you going to cover any of his actual events?
No. This is about their sick need for control. If they can’t have you and you fight back, they’ll try to destroy you but it’s not working. They would love for Harry and Meghan to be desperate to bring the children over for photos because that means they got them. Harry and Meghan are truly gods soldiers because their strength is legendary as far as I’m concerned. Giving anything to that overzealous press will keep you in a loop of paranoia and desperation. Harry is not his family and they’re pissed about it.
No, this won’t hurt Harry. Of course he has insurance. And will likely pay at most 600k. Its tiring seeing people believe the left behind tabloid narrative.
I really wanted the celebs to win for the little guy. As strange as that sounds. The tabloids should not be running campaigns on Hugh Grant rather it should be politicians. I just hope this doesnt embolden the british media to go further.
@Amy G, say what now?! Harry & Meghan aren’t like bulliam and khate who frequently use their children to deflect on negative publicity.
Between this and his dogpoop father, perhaps “Spare Me, the Sequal” should be at least a passing thought. After the IG in Birmingham are over, what is there left for Harry in the UK? His uncle and the rest of Diana’s family will be there, of course. His own family and their safety will always be top of mind. There are beautiful safe places to visit all over the world.
I’m buying some tea, jam, honey, and wine that will take me a couple of months to drink.
Tea and jam, jam and tea. Me too! Wine also.
They didn’t “get” Harry at all. If they got Harry, he would’ve caved a long time ago and kissed the ring. I saw articles yesterday that they thought Harry would come to his senses but then he released his statement after the verdict, which shows his defiance and strength. They didn’t get anything. He’s still not coming back, unbroken and playing by their rules. I just hope Harry realizes his father is a waste of time. Don’t give hope and faith to these people.
I also do not think they got him. Harry and Meghan are well off/rich (depending on whether you are using billionaires/normal mortals scale), still together and happy. They work, they deliver, they are interesting, relevant.
The left-behinds simply exposed themselves as complete, utterly control-obsessed, gaslighting freaks.
The best part: the UK media are hungry and in need of content, which the old and boring left-behinds don’t have; it is like a predator circling bleeding prey. Sooner or later they will turn their cameras on the Peg’s bedroom show.
I read somewhere in bbc I think where the judge cap the total amount to only 2 million pounds .
“When they can’t control you, they try to control how people see you”.
BRF is a cartel
@Nic919 and I wrote about this yesterday. There is no way Harry personally is on the hook for any amount that would break him (or Elton John for that matter). This is handled as when any corporation sets aside funds for possible future liabilities. And those arrangements are unlikely to be public, nor do the claimants have any reason to make it so. So the British tabs will tab but it’s all lies.
Put it this way : if ANL had lost, would Lord Rothemere be wringing his hands about being personally on the hook for costs? No.
Put it another way : if Carole Middleton could walk away from Party Pieces debts with a smile and sport a Hermes 25k purse at Cheltenham, there is no way Harry or his fellow claimants would be on the hook either.
This is weird. I don’t get why everyone acts like Harry is on the hook for all of this and he’s the only one who lost. It’s terrible framing. And as people said yeah they all have insurance. I think this came up the last time when Meghan sued about her letter. She wasn’t going to be on the hook if she lost. This is them just hoping that Harry is broke and has to come back so they can abuse him some more.
They have no idea how much money they have because they have no access to their financials. They know Harry is not sweating over that money. Harry and Meghan are rich. I think they have a couple hundred million. That’s my guess. As Ever made 36 million from Jams alone. That’s not even counting the rest of the merchandise on the website. This is them coping.
I read somewhere that the costs were capped to GBP 4.5 million per claimant, they won’t have to pay 50 millions each as the gloating haters say.
Nice dig, Meghan’s failing business…. you wish!
Have a look at the crowd. 90% reporters (German TV included), all there for one “irrelevant universally despised” individual.
Notably, Justice Nicklin, the judge who ruled against Harry this time, previously worked as a barrister representing News Group Newspapers and Mirror Group Newspapers in those earlier phone-hacking cases, the same ones Harry successfully won.
Re: the judge, how in the world is that not considered a conflict of interest?Good grief!
Litigants lawyers operated on a no win no fee basis and the legal firm itself took out insurance to losing the case. So Harry and co aren’t liable for their own legal costs. Thanks @Lurker for the detail on the fee capping so when Legal costs are agreed at the end of July when the rival lawyers are back in court ANL fees have to be justified. Capped fees mean ANL can’t claim 50 million won’t be approved by the judge.
I believe they will go on appeal. A certain amount will have to be paid and the rest, if required, after.
Harry has banked many many tens of millions from his own endeavours; he doesn’t need his hand held. I would guarantee 10 million is totally fine. As always Harry the victim plays well on both sides: fans and haters.
This isn’t my area of expertise, but they likely all have liability insurance to protect their own assets. And basically will pay essentially an insurance deductible, while the insurance company covers the rest. Also, as others have mentioned the cost will be capped. So it will not be 50 million pounds that Harry himself is going to have to pay. The media also knows that but when have they ever let the truth get in the way of a good narrative? They also pretend to not understand expiration dates, trademarks, first look deals, book advances, and how investing works.
Their continued narrative is that Harry and Meghan are going to go broke any day. That is what they hope for, because that is the only way that they can see Harry and Meghan working with the media. Even though they keep saying this is it, this is the time is really going to happen. I wouldn’t fall for believing it either. They also told us this after Spotify, Netflix, and American Riveria Orchard became As Ever that this was the thing that finally was going to sink them.
Let me help. The court already capped recoverable costs at just £4.1m for the claimants’ side (total) and £4.4m for ANL last year. Plus claimants are all insured and also have third party contributions. So the seven claimants, while understandably disappointed, will be fine financially.
So this case is subject to the ‘fixed recoverable cost’ scheme that caps the maximum amount loser pays? I remember the plaintiffs did not put a £ value on their claim, but I didn’t know if that’s a factor in determining the cost in case of loss.
so the most ANL can recover is 4.4 million?? Okay yeah they’re fine lol.
No, £4.1m split between the seven claimants. The caps were put into place by the judge at a case management hearing last year. They will have a specialist insurance package that includes add-ons. Any gaps would be covered by the third party contributions they reportedly have. Royal commentators tend not to be particularly intelligent, or even curious, people!
they WISH this would break Harry financially, but it won’t. He’ snot on the hook for 50 million personally. I also expect there to be appeals.
I’m a former Licensed Claims Adjuster (retired). In the US, anyone can purchase extra insurance commonly known as Umbrella Insurance, or a Personal Liability Umbrella policy, to supplement their homeowners/renters and/or auto insurance policies’ liability coverage limits, altho its mostly sold to/used by the rich and wealthy. It includes coverage for lawsuits. Most people are unaware of this extra insurance since one can always increase their liability coverages within their existing policies, but that increased coverage would be policy specific (for ex: homeowners or auto). The Umbrella Policy has broader liability coverage outside of the main policies and can cover other losses. Businesses can purchase Commercial Umbrella Policies for extra insurance coverage. Harry likely has both types of Umbrella Policies.
Harry will be fine. The Palace and press want him crawling back to the UK broke and begging for forgiveness but that will never happen. But I must say Valentine Low’s obsession with Meghan is very creepy.
They’re obsessed because they can’t get access to her and she’s in another country living her life. She doesn’t care for them or their opinions. Meghan also represents freedom and an exit for Harry. As long as Meghan keeps being his wife, supporter and equal provider on top of it all, she’s considered a threat.
And Tom Sykes really seems to have gone off the rails in recent months. He was always an asshole, but he seems absolutely unhealthily obsessed at this point.
All Meghan has to do, is publish her own recollections of her time before, during, and after her UK sojourn, and they’ll be in the money for daaaaaaaaays. That would cover a lawsuit every year, for another decade at least. LOL.
Also in UK “winning” side are usually awarded between 80 to 90 % legal costs so ANL are unlikely to get 100% of their legal fees repaid. Both sets of lawyers will argue about repayment amounts in front of same Judge at end of July.
This is what Grok says:
No, Prince Harry does not face anywhere near a £50m personal costs bill.
The £38-40m figure is the **total** estimated legal spend across the entire multi-claimant case (Harry + 6 others vs Associated Newspapers). The court already capped recoverable budgets at just £4.1m for the claimants’ side and £4.4m for ANL because the original proposals were ruled “manifestly excessive.”
In UK civil cases the loser pays the winner’s reasonable/assessed costs (subject to those caps), usually shared among the 7 claimants. Much of Harry’s side appears **funded externally or insured**. The £50m number is media exaggeration of overall case costs, not his liability.
Thank you Harriet and Beth both for explaining!
So the press is lying (what else is new) to feed the “they are broke, Harry will come back, Meghan will divorce him now that there is no more money” narrative.
Please don’t use that hate site for anything. Use wikipedia. If you must use AI, try duckduckgo’s version.
These hyenas are so cruel and hypocritical. It’s all about Harry and so little to nothing said about how the others reacted. I would imagine Elton John turned the air purple as he rarely holds back. Nothing from him?
@Lurker & Sid:
I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS!!! How was the judge’s conflict of interest allowed? Was Harry’s side not allowed to request a different judge who had not actually worked for the other side in a similar action?
This would not be allowed in US courts, even now as the GOP tries to ruin them.
I still don’t understand why the plaintiff’s lawyers didn’t even try to get the judge to recuse himself? This was never brought up pre-trial?
This hateful England. They should change the words in the poem/song. Poor Rupert Brooke. He did not die in WWI for THIS England and I’m glad he never found out what it’s become. Now the upper classes do not fight in wars, something about bone spurs? All the rich seem to get them!
I’d assume there was some type if not for Harry’s sake, for his co-plaintiffs because while he and Elton could afford this i highly doubt Baronness Lawrence could and it’s so frustrating how what was done to her and her family is washed over when people talk about this case. I’m glad Harry released his statement alongside her and I hope she’s doing OK.
I feel so bad for all of the plaintiffs. England certainly is the “special friend” of America, but not in a good way. Corruption, injustice, greed, lies, dishonor . . . Shaking my head.
Don’t know about the English system but in the U.S., your insurance covers the cost of defense if you are sued; there is no insurance that will cover the cost of being a plaintiff in a suit that isn’t for subrogation. However, in the U.S. a lawfirm might take on a case like this, with potential for high damages, on contingency, in which case the firm would eat the costs if they lose. If they weren’t working on contingency, they’d be paid monthly as they go through the process and there would be no huge bill at the end. Unfortunately I have no idea how things work in the UK legal system.
Last year, after 3.5 decades of trying my best to be a good daughter-in-law, I realized that there is nothing on God’s green earth I can do to ever please that old bitch. My husband even told me she was hopeless, but I so desperately wanted my children to have a healed family that I kept giving grace when I should have shut the door. Last year. I faced the truth and I shut that door. I hope Harry can now do the same.
Its not about “can he afford it” but why is the english public allowing lawfare. Win or lose the plantiffs had every right to bring the case. This wasnt farfetched. Im just so disappointed that this style of journalism is in the usa.
All british news corps should have their usa license pulled. We dont need this. All the little guy has us the courts. Take the courts away and the contract is over.
Bro was looking SHARP though! Love the shine on his matching navy shoes.
Hmph. Meghan needs to sell a lot of jam?
Meghan: (As the Brits would say), Leave it with me.🥰
All he has to do to recoup the costs is write another book or make another documentary.
All he has to do to recoup the cost is write a book or make a documentary about his experience of battling the tabloid press. It would be a public service.
While I seriously doubt any award of costs would break Harry financially, there is not any kind of insurance I’m aware of (and I work in insurance) that would insure a person for a financial loss incurred when acting as a plaintiff in an invasion of privacy suit. That’s just not something that exists.
I wonder if he’ll continue to pursue this at European Court. I always wondered why they filled this in UK Court knowing how they “easily influenced” by establishment (RF) & oligarchs
I really want to learn more about the timing of the judgement announcement.
It’s too bizarre.
It’s a lot of money, but most of the plaintiffs can get it together without sinking. Painful, but not impossible. I do worry about Sadie Frost + Baroness Lawrence, though.
I believe they all would’ve had insurance to cover at least part of the cost.
What a shitty terrible court decision.