Prince Harry was back in the public eye on Wednesday, visiting Birmingham Children’s Hospital in his role as patron of the charity WellChild, just a day after losing his High Court privacy battle against the publisher of the Daily Mail. The visit came after he held private meetings at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, half a mile from King Charles, who was at the new British Transport Police headquarters meeting officers who dealt with the Bedfordshire train crash. Buckingham Palace confirmed the Duke of Sussex is not staying at the royal residence during his rare UK visit, staying instead at an undisclosed address.
On Tuesday, hours after the judgment was handed down, Harry delivered a rousing speech at the Invictus Games Foundation conference at Chatham House in London. Chairman Lord Charles Allen introduced him as he thanked the audience, joking that “this is one of the few rooms in the UK that has air conditioning!” Harry told the gathering: “Looking around this room, I see people representing different nations, different governments, different militaries, different organisations and different approaches to recovery. And that’s exactly as it should be.”
“Prince Harry loses High Court privacy case against Daily Mail publisher, then appears at Invictus event near King Charles.”
The legal defeat came in a case brought by Harry, Baroness Doreen Lawrence and others against Associated Newspapers, alleging unlawful tactics to collect information. Mr Justice Nicklin ruled the accusations were so grave that they required more compelling evidence, stating: “I accept that he found the article intrusive and was genuinely concerned by how journalists appeared to know private information concerning his relationships. But suspicion, even understandable suspicion, is not proof.” In a joint statement, Harry and Lawrence called the judgment “a complete and obvious whitewash, but sadly not altogether unexpected,” adding: “We came to court seeking justice and accountability. But we have received neither.”
Despite the setback, Harry continues his UK itinerary. He is due to travel to Birmingham for the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games on Thursday. Meanwhile, King Charles is hopeful of meeting Harry and his wife Meghan this week, having instructed senior aides to secure time in his diary. Royal sources say the King would not want to pass up the opportunity of seeing his grandchildren Archie and Lilibet. The visits come amid ongoing tensions: a former royal butler has warned of “irreversible” damage to family ties, saying Prince William will be “furious” – though he did not comment directly on whether reconciliation is possible.