Prince Harry is expected to return to the UK in the coming days for another court battle – and it seems any family reunions are off the cards
Prince Harry with the Prince and Princess of Wales (Image: Getty Images)
Prince Harry looks set to arrive in the UK in the coming days for a whirlwind visit – but yet again royal reunions are not on the cards. The Duke of Sussex will be at the High Court in London as his case against the publisher of the Daily Mail gets underway on Monday – with Harry himself giving evidence on Thursday.
Unlike the last time he was in London, he is not expected to meet his father, the King, who is currently enjoying a break at his Balmoral home in the Scottish Highlands. Charles will be undertaking royal duties at the start of the week, before returning to London for a medical appointment on Tuesday – just two days before is set to take the stand.
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Prince Harry is expected to be in the UK this coming week (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
Similarly, Prince William, who has barely spoken to his brother in years, is also set to be hundreds of miles away next week on a trip to Scotland with Kate. They are due to travel to Stirling and Falkirk, where they will shine a spotlight on unique Scottish heritage traditions and how they are continuing to connect communities and inspire new generations. On the day Harry is expected to give evidence, William will also be far from London, carrying out engagements in Bristol.
And according to royal expert Jennie Bond, this speaks volumes about the royals and their relationships. The former BBC royal correspondent told the Mirror : “It should be such a straightforward relationship: father and son, reuniting from time to time even though they live on different continents. But it is very much NOT straightforward. Theirs is a relationship fraught with complexity.
“We know from Harry’s book that Charles adamantly disagrees with his son over pursuing — and suing— the tabloid press. The King believes he and the rest of the family should generally just rise above it and get on with their lives and jobs. Harry has made it a crusade to “reform” the UK press.
Harry is not expected to see the King on his upcoming trip(Image: PA)
“So it’s perhaps fortuitous that Charles is likely to be in Scotland as usual in January when Harry flies back from California to face down Associated Newspapers in court. William and Catherine also have engagements in Scotland, so the lines are clearly drawn. Harry will concentrate on his court case and the chances are he won’t be seeing his father – or of course his brother, during this trip.
In May, Harry gave an interview to the BBC in which he claimed the King would not speak to him because of his legal fight with the Home Office over security, and he did not know “how much longer my father has” as he described his hopes for a “reconciliation”.
The sit-down chat came after the duke lost a Court of Appeal challenge over his security arrangements while in the UK. But in a major U-turn, the Home Office is said to have now ordered a full threat assessment for the first time since 2020, amid reports Harry’s taxpayer-funded armed security will be reinstated for visits to the UK.
In September, father and son finally met for the first time in 19 months for a short tea at Clarence House while Harry was visiting London. And according to Jennie, full reconciliation could take a while.
She explained: “I’m sure Charles is still hoping to rekindle his once close relationship with his ‘darling boy’ , what father wouldn’t? But it is all so desperately complicated and sensitive: the security issue, the tabloid court case, and then how does William feel about it all?
“The King has a right royal balancing act on his hands – and it’s going to be a while yet before there can be any hope of a resolution.”
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