Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 29
Prince Harry Faces £34.5 Million ANL Cost Claim as £16.2 Million Insurance Falls Short
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 29

Prince Harry Faces £34.5 Million ANL Cost Claim as £16.2 Million Insurance Falls Short

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 29

Summary

  • ANL asked London’s High Court to order Prince Harry and six co-claimants to pay costs on an indemnity basis after their privacy claims were thrown out on July 7.
  • £34.5 million in ANL legal spending now far exceeds the claimants’ £16.2 million insurance cover, leaving them potentially millions of pounds exposed; ANL wants an interim payment of £9.95 million, versus the claimants’ £8 million offer.
  • ANL said the group pursued sweeping allegations of criminality against 77 staff, abandoned some claims during the 11-week trial and then attacked the judge’s 426-page ruling as a “whitewash,” conduct it says justifies stricter cost recovery.
  • The claimants argued ANL’s bill is disproportionate, exceeds its approved budget by more than £18.6 million and rose from an earlier £20 million estimate without warning, leaving them effectively uninsured despite litigating in good faith.
  • The two-day hearing will decide how much of ANL’s four-year litigation bill the claimants must cover after losing the case in full.

Insights

With a massive legal bill looming, will Prince Harry's crusade against the British press end in unprecedented personal financial ruin?
Does this overwhelming tabloid victory mean the rich and famous will no longer dare to challenge the British press in court?
Since their insurance falls drastically short, how will these prominent celebrities escape the crushing weight of a £50 million legal disaster?