Reports have suggested that The Duke of Sussex is unlikely to see his father, the King, when he makes a comeback to the UK this month for his trial against the publisher of the Daily Mail via The Telegraph.
Prince Harry is set to travel back to London from California for the opening of his High Court privacy claim, scheduled for January 19th.
He is expected to be the first witness to give evidence, with seven high-profile claimants, including Baroness Lawrence and Sir Elton John, each taking their turn to testify before being cross-examined.
On his last visit to the UK in September, the Duke enjoyed a reunion with his father at Clarence House, marking the first time they had seen each other in 19 months. The 50-minute meeting was considered a major step towards reconciliation amid a deep family rift, and relations have since thawed, with the pair now said to be in regular contact.
The timetable is still unconfirmed but the Duke is unable to commit to specific dates or times. He has still not been able to book his flights. However, with multiple commitments pencilled in his diary in the United States, his return to the UK will probably span only a few days.
The King tends to take a break from public duties for most of January, and will almost certainly be in Scotland on the dates in question. However, royal sources acknowledge that he has no wish to be linked to any court proceedings, meaning that on this occasion, he would prefer to give his younger son a wide berth.
The claimant’s barrister, David Sherborne, has told all seven claimants to attend the opening of the trial in a “show of strength”.
If he gets his wish, Sir Elton, his husband David Furnish, Liz Hurley, Baroness Lawrence, Sadie Frost and Sir Simon Hughes will take their seats in Court 73.
The nine-week trial, which is projected to cost more than £38m, will hear them accuse Associated Newspapers Limited of hiring private investigators to place listening devices inside cars, “blag” private records and access private phone conversations.
