Just ten minutes late for a long-planned event to celebrate his beloved Invictus Games, Prince Harry appeared at Chatham House in central London on Tuesday – but it was obvious the royal was feeling distracted. He had, we now know, just received news that he had lost his high-profile court battle against Associated Newspapers, causing speculation he and the other claimants are now allegedly facing a staggering £50m legal bill.
At 1.20pm, a full 25 minutes before his expected arrival, Harry arrived in a black Range Rover. Moments later, he descended the stairs inside the building, appearing somewhat pensive, and moved out of sight to meet his PR guru Miranda Barbot. At that stage, none of the waiting press – apart from maybe Harry – knew the outcome of the case. It remains unclear if he did, but the usually confident prince was lacking his usual swagger.
“Prince Harry lost his high-profile court battle against Associated Newspapers, facing a £50m legal bill, as he arrived late to a London event.”
After greeting his aides, Harry headed for a “reading room” while the press pack waited for the judgment, due to be released publicly at 2pm – the same time the Invictus event was due to start. The start time came and went with no sign of the prince. At 2.09pm, he finally walked into the conference room, and the event immediately began. Just four minutes later, at 2.13pm, His Majesty’s Press Association announced Harry had lost the case.
As journalists at the back of the room began showing each other updates on their laptops and phones, Harry, sitting at the front, appeared to be engaging his best poker face – at least until he got up to speak. At 2.17pm, after a heartwarming introduction by Lord Charles Allen, chair of the Invictus Games Foundation, Harry walked on stage to speak in front of nearly 200 delegates. The prince, usually so self-assured when giving speeches, attempted to start with a joke about the turnout being so high because the room had air-conditioning. But despite his attempt at humour, it was clear he was not his usual self; some experienced royal observers described him as seeming shaky. Six minutes later, Harry retreated to his seat, where he appeared visibly distracted, sometimes looking at his phone and occasionally leaning in to speak to members of his team.
This first public event of his UK return trip – to celebrate the Invictus Games, which he founded in 2014 and which will be held in Birmingham next year – came after a rather awkward royal mishap. Harry’s spokesman said the prince had accepted an offer to stay at Buckingham Palace, only for the offer to be “withdrawn” moments later. The spokesman stated: “I am aware of multiple briefings from Buckingham Palace last week suggesting that the Duke had not accepted the offer of accommodation at a Royal Residence. Following RAVEC’s decision not to provide security for his family, the duke spent last week making alternative security arrangements. Once those arrangements were in place, he was able to formally accept the offer of accommodation for himself over the weekend. It is therefore disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn, with Tuesday’s judgment in the Associated Newspapers Limited case cited as the reason. Buckingham Palace has, however, been aware of that judgment since last Thursday. It is therefore unclear why, having formally accepted the accommodation offer, it has now been withdrawn at the last moment.”
It’s currently unclear whether there are plans for Harry to meet with King Charles, whom he reunited with in September after not seeing each other for over a year. The one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games continues, but the prince now faces an uncertain legal bill that could reshape his financial future.