King Charles III will not be meeting Prince Harry during the Duke of Sussex’s return to the UK this week, Buckingham Palace sources have confirmed. Harry, 41, is scheduled to appear in London for the start of his legal battle against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail, which commences at the High Court on Monday, January 19. He is expected to attend most days and give a full day of testimony on Thursday, January 22.
The King, 77, is currently in Scotland enjoying a post-Christmas break with Queen Camilla at Birkhall on the Balmoral Estate. While he is due to return to London on Tuesday, January 20, for cancer treatment, palace insiders say his diary is too full to accommodate a meeting with his youngest son. A royal source told the Sunday Mirror: “The King’s diary means that he will be in Scotland engaging with the local community as he will be later in the week when he returns to London.”
Charles is also set to host a reception for entrepreneurs at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Monday, marking the Scotland Investment Forum. Neither the King nor Harry has requested a meeting, and aides confirm Charles will not cut short his schedule.
Prince Harry is also expected to avoid a reunion with his brother, Prince William. The Prince and Princess of Wales are carrying out engagements in Stirling and Falkirk this week, and insiders say they have “no plans to see Harry.” Tensions remain high following revelations from Harry’s memoir Spare, though the King and Harry did share a meeting in September 2025, their first in roughly 19 months.
During this UK visit, Harry is pursuing legal action alongside Sir Elton John, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sir Simon Hughes, and actresses Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley, accusing Associated Newspapers Limited of illegal practices such as employing private investigators to bug cars and access private calls. The publisher has denied all allegations.
After providing testimony, the Duke of Sussex is expected to return to California, where he will be reunited with his wife, Meghan Markle, 44, and their children Archie, six, and Lilibet, four.
