Prince Harry Faces Eye-Watering Legal Bill After Humiliating Phone Hacking Case Loss — as Fans Joke Wife Meghan Markle 'Will Have to Sell A Lot More Jam'
Prince Harry could end up owing millions to the Daily Mail's publishers.
July 8 2026, Published 4:10 p.m. ET
Prince Harry losing his legal war against the Daily Mail's publishers is more than just a blow to his pride, as it could end up costing him tens of millions of dollars, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
As the lead claimant in the blockbuster phone hacking case, the Duke of Sussex, 41, caused Associated Newspapers Limited to rack up a staggering $67million in legal fees and court costs, and now the ex-royal could be left on the hook for a hefty chunk of that eye-watering bill.
Prince Harry Doesn't Have the 'Millions' ANL Will Be Seeking to Cover Their Costs
Prince Harry could end up paying millions to ANL to cover their legal fees.
Judge Matthew Nicklin rejected all 97 claims in the invasion-of-privacy lawsuit brought by Harry and six others against ANL. The case began in 2022 and concluded when the jurist handed down a crushing legal blow to the Duke and other plaintiffs, including Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley.
When asked about the humiliating ruling during an appearance on The Royalist's July 7 podcast, royal author Valentine Low quipped, "First reaction: Meghan is going to have to sell a whole lot more jam," referring to Harry's wife, Meghan Markle, and her much-derided As Ever fruit spread.
"More seriously, Harry's not got that kind of money. So, one does wonder, who's bankrolling this court case? Because there's no way Harry's got all those millions to pay all those legal costs," the Courtiers: Intrigue, Ambition, and the Power Players Behind the House of Windsor author noted.
An Upcoming Hearing Will Determine What Prince Harry Might Pay to ANL
ANL is looking to recoup the $67million spent defending itself against Prince Harry's lawsuit.
"Look, it's incredibly damaging and wounding for him. In the end, what you remember is the last one. The Mail was the target he really had in his sights, and it meant a lot to him. To lose that one — and to lose it so comprehensively— is very wounding," Low shared.
A two-day hearing will be held starting on July 29 to determine who will foot the massive legal bill ANL racked up defending itself in the case, with the company declaring shortly after Nicklin's ruling that it will be looking to recover the $67million spent fighting Harry and the other claimants' allegations.
"We will look to resolve outstanding issues, including the recovery of the costs we have incurred while defending ourselves against this egregious litigation," an ANL spokesperson announced.
Prince Harry Has Dished Plenty of Dirty Laundry About Himself & His Family
The EIC of ANL blasted Prince Harry for suing over an alleged invasion of privacy despite writing a tell-all memoir.
Paul Dacre, Editor-in-Chief of Associated Newspapers Limited, released an extraordinary video blasting Harry following Nicklin's dismissal of the case, calling out the duke for laying bare so many secrets of his own life and that of the royal family in his 2023 memoir, Spare.
"Prince Harry wrote a sad book which boasted about his killing of 25 Taliban, his drug-taking and, in cringe-making detail, how he lost his virginity. There isn't a laundry in the cosmos big enough to wash all the dirty linen he has aired about his own family," Dacre shared.
He said of the prince, "For him, to complain about HIS privacy being invaded takes, not just the biscuit, but the whole tin."
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Prince Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, worked closely with 'The Daily Mail' during her split from King Charles III.
Dacre even invoked Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, claiming she worked closely with the Daily Mail during her bitter split from King Charles III and used the newspaper to get her side of the story out in a more sympathetic light.
"Poor Harry. I feel sorry for the way a confused and angry young man has been drawn into this case. The bitter irony is that his mother, Diana, liked the Mail. We were her paper. We took her side in her acrimonious breakup with Charles. She and I would speak and meet. The Mail’s superb royal reporter was her friend and confidante," he pointed out, referring to correspondent Richard Kay.
Dacre added, "The truth is that this trumped-up action – which has cost well over £50 million and wasted a huge amount of valuable court time – should never have been brought to trial."
