BREAKING NEWS: ‘Hot-headed’ Prince Harry ‘can’t help himself’ as duke faces fresh legal headache
The Duke of Sussex recently lost a legal fight against a publisher.
Harry’s case against Mail publisher to return to court after ruling
Prince Harry was branded “hotheaded” following the latest update about his legal defeat against the publisher of the Daily Mail. A group of seven household names, including the Duke of Sussex, Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Sir Elton John, sued Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over allegations of unlawful information gathering. ANL strongly denied the claims, which were heard at an 11-week trial in London earlier this year.
On July 7, Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed the claims in their entirety in a 436-page judgment and the cases returned to the High Court for a hearing on Wednesday over costs. The court heard there was a shortfall between their insurance cover and ANL’s costs, which are more than £34 million.
Prince Harry lost a legal case against ANL (Image: Getty)
Any arguments about potential appeal bids have been deferred until after the money has been finalised.
At the hearing, lawyers for ANL said the group of household names should pay its costs on an indemnity rather than a standard basis, which would be more favourable to ANL in terms of the amount they can recover.
Nicholas Bacon KC, for the group of claimants, said that Mr Justice Nicklin should not award ANL their costs on the stricter, indemnity basis.
The barrister said in written submissions that it could be “very significant” if the group of seven had to pay ANL’s cost on this stricter basis and could lead to them being without enough insurance cover.
He said that on the standard basis, a judge will need a good reason to award more costs than were set out in court-approved budgets, but this does not apply when costs are awarded on an indemnity basis.
Mr Bacon said that ANL’s incurred costs as of earlier this month were nearly £34.5 million, which “exceed its approved budget” by more than £18.6 million.
The barrister added that the group of seven household names have obtained insurance cover of a combined £16.2 million and that they had “conducted themselves honestly and in good faith”.
Now, a royal commentator weighed in on the update and claimed that Prince Harry’s “anger” has become “very expensive”.
Royal expert Jennie bond said in her column for the i newspaper: “Harry has always been a hothead, one who refuses to adopt the Windsor stiff upper lip when things go wrong. In a way, it’s quite refreshing.
“In his book, which was described in one review at the time as “the longest angry drunk text ever sent”, he reveals that he sought therapy for his anger. But still, it seems, he just can’t help himself.”
But she added: “I don’t know how much he has paid his therapists, but it doesn’t seem to have worked. Now the result of all that anger may well cost him dear.
“But by any standards, the Prince is a very rich man – however much he protests about his finances – and if he has to pay out big-time, it will hurt his pride more than his pocket.”
