The Duke of Sussex has arrived at Chatham House for the first in a series of week-long events celebrating his Invictus Games and ahead of an imminent court ruling.
Harry looked business-like as he stepped from his vehicle ahead of the highly-anticipated judgment in his High Court case against the Daily Mail’s publisher expected later on Tuesday afternoon.
There will be intense media scrutiny of the former working royal during his long-planned trip to the UK, with mounting speculation about whether he will see his father the King or briefly bring his family to the UK.
Scores of photographers and media gathered outside and shouted “Sir, sir” at Harry, but the duke headed straight into the international affairs think tank’s building in central London.
The duke was reportedly staying at his holiday home in Portugal with the Duchess of Sussex and their children ahead of his UK visit.
Harry remains estranged from his brother the Prince of Wales, and it is highly unlikely the pair will meet.
The duke’s first public event of his return to the UK sees him attend an Invictus Games Foundation conference at London’s Chatham House, as part of the “One Year to Go” celebrations for the Invictus Games being staged in Birmingham in 2027.
The event is bringing together members of the Invictus community, leading experts and policymakers, including UK minister for veterans and people Calvin Bailey, to discuss issues affecting wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans – all those eligible to take part in the paralympic-style games.
Harry arrived around 45 minutes before the written judgment was due in his High Court case against Associated Newspapers.
The duke and a group of other household names including Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish are finding out whether they have won their High Court cases against the Daily Mail’s publisher over allegations of voicemail interception, landline tapping and obtaining information by deception, which Associated Newspapers denies.
Harry arrived in London on Monday without Meghan, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet who did not travel because of security concerns, and following a public dispute with Buckingham Palace, about royal residence accommodation, the duke has arranged a private place to stay.
He spent his first night in the capital attending the premiere of Shoot The People, the documentary about his photographer friend Misan Harriman, the out-going chair of the Southbank Centre, who has been embroiled in a spat with a number of national newspapers.
This week the duke will take part in various public and private activities relating to the Invictus Games he launched in 2014 to aid the recovery of injured or sick military veterans and servicemen and women.
He is also due to attend events with WellChild and Scotty’s Little Soldiers, charities he supports.
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