The Duke of Sussex is expected to return to the UK in the coming days ahead of a landmark court case, but will not see his father while in his home country despite them being in the same city
20:30, 17 Jan 2026Updated 20:47, 17 Jan 2026
Prince Harry and his estranged father King Charles(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Prince Harry will not see the King when he is in the UK this week ahead of a major court case. The Duke of Sussex will this weekend jet into London to attend the opening of his legal action against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail, which begins on Monday.
His father, Charles, will at the start of the week be 500 miles away in Scotland performing royal duties, but will return to London to resume his cancer treatment on Tuesday. The King will carry out engagements in the capital next week, however, royal sources have confirmed that neither side requested a meeting with the other and no arrangements have been made to see one another.
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Prince Harry will not see his father when he is in the UK this week(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess of Wales will also be in Scotland next week, traveling to Stirling and Falkirk on Tuesday. There they will be shining a spotlight on unique Scottish heritage traditions and how they are continuing to connect communities and inspire new generations.
Harry, and a group of six others are bringing the claim at the High Court, alleging that Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) carried out or commissioned unlawful activities such as hiring private investigators to place listening devices inside cars and accessing private phone conversations. Associated is also accused of the “blagging” of flight information. The media company has denied all the allegations.
The group taking legal action includes Sir Elton John, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, politician Sir Simon Hughes, and actresses Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley. Harry is expected to attend most days of the case next week and is due to give evidence lasting a full day on Thursday. Other people expected to give evidence during the nine-week trial include Lady Lawrence, Sir Elton and Ms Hurley.
Harry, 41, is then expected to return to his home in California, where he lives with his wife Meghan and their two children Archie, six and Lilibet, four. The Duke will not be accompanied by the Duchess of Sussex on his trip, while speculation has mounted in recent weeks as to whether Meghan, 44, is planning to return to the UK for the first time since 2022.
The King and Prince Harry in 2018 (Image: PA)
Harry is set to travel to Birmingham on July 10 to launch the countdown to the Birmingham 2027 Invictus Games. His landmark sporting event, involving injured service personnel from dozens of countries, has been credited with improving the lives of hundreds of former forces heroes since its inception in 2014.
The King last saw Harry in person in May last year, following the Duke of Sussex ’s losing his appeal for taxpayer funded security when he returns to the UK. He met his father at Clarence House in London, their first face to face meeting since February 2024. Harry has claimed he no longer feels it is safe to bring his wife and children to the UK due to serious concerns over their safety.
His barristers claimed he was “singled out” for “inferior treatment” and that the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) did not follow its own “terms of reference” when deciding his security.
The Home Office, which is legally responsible for Ravec’s decisions, opposed the appeal, with its lawyers telling the court that a “bespoke” process was used for Harry and that the duke had “no proper basis” for challenging the decision.
Prince Harry at the High Court last year(Image: PA)
He has since written to the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, requesting a full review of the arrangement after being stripped of his security detail when he and Meghan quit their roles as working members of the royal family in 2020. The Home Secretary is expected to deliver her review in the coming weeks, with recent reports suggesting that Ms Mahmood will overturn the Court of Appeal’s decision.
The King, who announced in November that his weekly treatment for cancer which has been ongoing since his diagnosis in February 2024, told royal aides that he would stay in Scotland despite Harry being in London next week. Charles, 77, on Monday will host a reception to mark the Scotland Investment Forum, celebrating Scotland’s entrepreneurial spirit and strong innovation ecosystem at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, who have had no contact with Harry in over two years, also have no plans to see Harry during his stay, royal sources said.
The High Court in London heard that ANL lawyers have made “serious allegations” of dishonesty and fraud against some representatives in the claimants’ legal team. David Sherborne, for the claimants, said in written submissions: “The allegations made by the defendants are exceptionally serious, of fraud, dishonesty and professional misconduct. They cannot be introduced by assertion in opening written submissions and are not simply commentary on pleaded issues.”
He added: “The allegations made by the defendants are not confined to the credibility of witnesses, as above, the defendant explicitly seeks findings, and also asserts as a fact that actions amount to a ‘calculated attempt to withhold the true position from the court’.”
Antony White KC, for ANL, told the court the submissions were simply an “attack” on the credibility of some of the witnesses. He said in court: “It is not necessary to plead a case if the other side’s witnesses are not telling the truth.”
Mr Justice Nicklin ruled that ANL’s trial opening note should be amended, saying: “In my judgment, the camouflage scheme that is relied upon by the defendants goes far further than an attack on credibility.” He added: “It seems to be that the requirements of fairness mean that the defendant must seek to amend its defence.”
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