Harry returns to UK as Daily Mail ruling nears

Prince Harry begins a week of public engagements in Britain on Tuesday as the High Court prepares to deliver judgment in his privacy case against the publisher of the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday.

The Duke of Sussex is due to attend an event in London for the Invictus Games, his charity for injured military veterans. His visit is expected to include five days of events supporting some of his UK charities and raising support for the Invictus Games, including a stop in Birmingham, where the Games will be held next year.

The trip coincides with the scheduled judgment in a case brought by Harry and other public figures against Associated Newspapers. The claimants, including Sir Elton John, Sir Simon Hughes, Liz Hurley, Sadie Frost and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, accuse the publisher of using unlawful methods to gather information for stories. Associated Newspapers has strenuously denied the allegations.

Al Jazeera reported that the case concerns alleged privacy violations from the early 1990s to the 2010s. The outlet said the newspapers described the allegations as “preposterous” and argued that roughly 50 articles at issue were based on lawful sources, including friends, royal aides and publicists who provided information to reporters.

Harry testified at the High Court in January, becoming the first royal to do so in 130 years, according to Al Jazeera. During that testimony, he accused the Daily Mail of making the life of his wife, Meghan, “an absolute misery.”

The financial consequences could be significant. Al Jazeera reported that potential costs are expected to reach tens of millions of pounds, with the losing side expected to pay trial costs and substantial damages possible if the claimants win. The judgment is expected at 13:00 GMT.

The case is the latest in a series of legal actions Harry has pursued against British newspaper groups over alleged unlawful intrusion and information gathering. In 2023, he won 15 claims in a case against Mirror Group Newspapers over stories published about him. Last year, the publisher of the Sun agreed to pay “substantial damages” and apologised to the duke to settle a long-running legal battle over claims of unlawful intrusion into his life. Al Jazeera identified that settlement as involving newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch and said it took place in January 2025.

Harry is attending the London events without Meghan and their children, Archie and Lilibet. The BBC reported that they are not in London because of security concerns. The outlet said the family had originally been expected to join him, but the security dispute complicated those plans. Meghan and the children could still travel for the later part of the visit outside the capital, the BBC reported.

The start of Harry’s visit was marked by confusion over where he would stay. His team announced that an invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace had been accepted. The palace rejected that account, saying Harry had been told on Saturday that he would not be able to stay because he had not responded to the invitation in time.

The visit has also prompted speculation about whether Harry might meet King Charles III. The BBC reported that there had been discussion about whether the trip could allow the king to see Archie and Lilibet, who have not been in the UK since Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. Harry is not expected to see Prince William during the visit.

The BBC also reported that Harry could see more of his mother’s side of the family, with reports that he might stay at the Althorp estate, where Princess Diana is buried. If his children come to the UK, the visit could give them an opportunity to see the grave of the grandmother they never met.