Prince Harry may be facing a brutal new financial headache after his latest court defeat.
The Duke of Sussex could reportedly be hit with a legal bill of up to $20 million after losing his privacy case against the publisher of the Daily Mail. Now, claims are swirling that Harry does not have the cash to cover the staggering costs on his own.
The timing could hardly be worse for the California-based royal, whose finances have already been the subject of growing scrutiny amid reports of failed projects and underwhelming streaming ventures with Meghan Markle.
But according to new claims, Harry may have one very famous friend who could help him out of the mess: Sir Elton John.
The 79-year-old music legend, who has an estimated fortune of $640 million, has long been close to Harry and the royal family. Elton performed at Harry and Meghan’s 2018 wedding and was famously a close friend of Princess Diana, memorably performing at her funeral in 1997.
A source told Page Six that Elton may be willing to help the Duke as he deals with the fallout from the case.
“Elton John could also well help Harry out,” the source said. “They’re extremely close.”
The source also claimed, “Harry definitely doesn’t have the money for it,” and suggested Meghan would “likely be very furious about the fees” because she allegedly “did not want him to” pursue the case.
Harry joined the legal action alongside several high-profile names, including Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, the mother of Stephen Lawrence, the Black British teenager murdered in a racist attack in London in 1993.
The group alleged they had been victims of journalists who used unlawful methods to obtain private information.
Harry told the court that Meghan’s life had been made an “absolute misery” by the British press.
But Judge Matthew Nicklin was not persuaded. In his decision, he said that “suspicion, even understandable suspicion, is not proof,” and found that the stories at issue could have come from legitimate sources.
The court defeat was another public blow for Harry, who has spent years battling the British press since stepping back from royal duties and moving to California with Meghan.
It also came just before his latest visit to the U.K., where he appeared at an Invictus Games “One Year to Go” event in Birmingham. Meghan, 44, later joined him with their children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five.
During the visit, the Sussexes also met with King Charles. The meeting marked the first time the monarch had seen his grandchildren in four years.
Still, Harry’s return to Britain did not exactly bring a wave of public affection.
One source said Harry remains deeply committed to Invictus, the veterans-focused cause that has long been personal to him. But the insider claimed his visits to the U.K. are often overshadowed by the controversy that follows him.
“Harry genuinely throws himself into everything connected with Invictus because it’s the one cause that still resonates strongly with him on a personal level,” the source said.
“But every time he comes back to Britain, the focus quickly shifts from the veterans to the controversy surrounding him.”
The source added that while some people still respect Harry’s work with the military community, others believe his relationship with Britain has been too badly damaged.
“There are still plenty of people who admire the work he’s doing for the military community,” the insider said. “But equally, there’s a large section of the public who feel the damage to his relationship with the U.K. is too great and simply aren’t interested in welcoming him back.”
“He knows opinion remains deeply split, and that’s unlikely to change any time soon.”
Another source put it even more bluntly, claiming Harry is being “absolutely mauled by his critics” despite trying to keep a brave face in public.
“The feeling in Britain among the masses of the public is simply, ‘Why are you here? Go home,’” the source claimed. “No one cares about him.”
For Harry, the latest legal defeat adds another painful chapter to his long war with the press. But this time, the fallout may not just be public. It could come with an enormous price tag.
