Prince Harry has applied to the Court of Appeal in London for permission to challenge a High Court ruling that went against him in his privacy case against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), the publisher of the Daily Mail.
The Duke of Sussex and the other claimants said in a statement on Friday that they had filed applications with the Court of Appeal, arguing that both the judgment and the costs ruling that followed were “legally and factually flawed”.
The claimants, who include singer Elton John, his husband David Furnish, actresses Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost and campaigner Doreen Lawrence, had accused the newspaper of bugging their homes, listening in on their phone calls and other breaches of privacy. ANL denied all the allegations.
In July, after an 11-week trial in which Harry gave evidence in person, the High Court ruled in favour of the publisher, finding that the claimants had failed to prove their allegations. In August, the court ordered Harry and the six other claimants to make an initial payment of £9.5 million towards ANL’s legal costs.
The court also ruled that the costs should be paid on the stricter indemnity basis rather than the standard basis, saying the litigation had been pursued in a way that took it “well outside the norm”. ANL had estimated its total costs of defending the case at about £34.5 million as of July 9, and the final amount the claimants must pay will be decided at a separate hearing.
The case is the third and final one brought by Harry in his legal battles with British tabloids. Harry, 42, the younger son of King Charles III, moved back to Britain in August with his wife Meghan and their two children. The couple had left Britain and stepped back from royal duties in 2020.