How Much Did Prince Harry Lose In Tabloid Lawsuit?

Prince Harry‘s years-long crusade against the British tabloids may be over, but the financial fallout could be one of the most painful chapters for him yet.

It’s not just the Duke of Sussex who will be holding the tab, though. He and the other six plaintiffs in the case, including Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, “could collectively face a legal bill of up to around £50 million, approximately $67 million,” New York attorney Nicole Brenecki told Page Six.

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Harry and the others in the case sued the Daily Mail‘s publisher, Associated Newspapers, for breach of privacy. The judge ruled on July 7 that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to prove that the publisher obtained those stories illegally.

Brenecki noted that Harry’s case “remains one of the most expensive media privacy actions in recent years.” Liability insurance will likely cover some of the legal expenses, but the costs ran so high that the celebrities might have to pay out of pocket for the remaining amount.

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry

Craig Barritt/Getty Images for TIME

This disappointing loss for Prince Harry comes at a time when there are reported financial woes with the Sussexes. In May, a source told Rob Shuter’s Naughty But Nice Substack that Markle was urging her husband to contribute more to their household finances. “Meghan finally told Harry he needs to step up financially,” the insider said. “She’s driving the business deals, managing the brand, and thinking about the future.”

Even though he’s worth $60 million, per Celebrity Net Worth, his high-level security requirements to keep his family safe are expensive. “Harry worries about money constantly now. He never imagined financial stress would dominate his life the way it does today,” a source told Rob Shuter’s Naughty But Nice Substack in May.

Harry and wife Meghan Markle are still in business with Netflix, but the lucrative paydays that were handed out in Hollywood just six years ago have dried up. It’s not a Sussex issue; the economy has changed, and everyone in the entertainment industry has been affected.

Royal expert Kinsey Schofield speculated how the court costs could impact Harry’s financial picture. “This litigation has become eye-wateringly expensive,” she explained to Page Six about why the outcome is “unlikely to be cheap” for the royal. “Between the court’s decision, the apportionment of costs, and uncertainty over what insurance will actually pay, this could still end up costing him a substantial sum.”

The Duke of Sussex and fellow plaintiff Baroness Lawrence gave a statement to NewsNation after the judgment, sharing their displeasure about the outcome.

“It is a complete and obvious whitewash, but sadly not altogether unexpected,” the statement read, in part. “However, the lengths to which the court has gone to exonerate the Mail is as shocking as it is totally unwarranted. When the court says there is not sufficient evidence of wrongdoing, despite the documents showing otherwise, then one does wonder how justice was ever going to be achieved.”

For Harry, it was a four-year battle against the British tabloids, and one that came at a greater cost than he likely anticipated.

Before you go, click here to see the most important celebrity lawsuits over the past 15 years.

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