Prince Harry's court case takes darker turn to dirty trial

Prince Harry’s courtroom clash is costing a small fortune.

Legal bills in the Duke of Sussex’s lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) have now reached “substantial” levels, running into millions of pounds, as the case barrels toward trial.

The High Court has stepped in to decide how these eye-watering costs should be split between Harry, Sir Elton John, and five other prominent figures taking on the publisher. 

Judge David Cook and Mr Justice Nicklin delivered their ruling on Tuesday, focusing on the so-called “common” costs essentially who foots the bill if any of the publisher’s fees fall on the claimants.

The legal war chest is expected to grow even further as both sides gear up for proceedings scheduled to start mid January, though a preliminary hearing is still set for December 18.

The seven claimants in Harry’s legal showdown with the Daily Mail aren’t holding back. 

They allege that ANL engaged in a host of allegedly “undercover” shenanigans ranging from hiring private investigators to plant listening devices in cars, to sneaky access of confidential phone calls and private records.

ANL, unsurprisingly, has slammed the claims as “simply preposterous” and continues to mount a robust defense, insisting none of the accusations hold water.