Prince Harry and 6 others must pay initial $13 million over failed invasion of privacy case - AP News

Justice Matthew Nicklin issued the ruling Friday, directing the group to pay Associated Newspapers Ltd. By Aug. 28. The judge described the payment as a vindication for Daily Mail journalists, who had been accused of invading the plaintiffs' privacy. The sum lands at the upper end of what legal observers had anticipated.

The financial hit does not stop there. The seven plaintiffs could face an additional 25 million pounds in legal costs on top of the initial payment, a figure that would push the total exposure well past $40 million. Harry and his co-plaintiffs took a calculated risk bringing this case, and the court's answer was unambiguous.

For regular people watching from anywhere, including Lubbock, the story is a reminder that high-profile litigation against major media organizations carries enormous downside risk, no matter how famous or well-funded the plaintiffs are. Losing does not just mean losing. It means paying the other side.

The $13 million initial payment is due in roughly six weeks, and the question of who covers what share among the seven plaintiffs has not yet been made public.