Prince Harry is set to find out if he and a group of six other high-profile household names have won their High Court case against the Daily Mail’s publisher.
The Duke of Sussex, alongside Sir Elton John and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, have accused the newspaper of phone hacking, landline tapping and using private investigators to ‘blag’ information such as medical records.
Giving evidence, Harry became emotional as he said Associated Newspapers Limited had made his wife Meghan Markle’s life “a misery”.
The duke has now arrived in the UK after stating his invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace was withdrawn “at the last moment”.
He has returned for five days of engagements in London and Birmingham, and is not currently being joined by his wife Meghan and two children.
Harry accepted an offer to stay at the royal residence after making alternative security arrangements over the weekend.
But a spokesperson for the duke said his offer was revoked ahead of the looming judgement in his case against the publisher of the Daily Mail, which is due on Tuesday.
The appropriate hospitality and staffing provision was said to be no longer available, with Buckingham Palace also believing the longstanding legal case had complicated the matter, and could compromise the King’s constitutional position.
Read MorePrince Harry will not stay at Buckingham Palace for UK visit after he says invite ‘was withdrawn’
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Meghan, Archie and Lilibet will not join Harry on trip to London
The Diana theory: Why Kate and Meghan are more like each other than they might think
Key Points
- Prince Harry will not stay at Buckingham Palace during stay
- Prince Harry arrives in the UK
- What has Prince Harry's spokesperson said?
- All the changes to Harry's trip to the UK so far
- Why is Harry in court with Daily Mail's publisher?
Prince Harry will not stay at Buckingham Palace for UK visit after he says invite ‘was withdrawn’
07:26 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Duke of Sussex will not be staying at Buckingham Palace during his return to the UK, after accommodation arrangements for his trip reportedly descended into disarray.
Prince Harry landed on Monday and is believed to have arrived in London solo, without the Duchess of Sussex and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, after they pulled out of a visit to the capital because of security concerns.
A spokesperson for the duke described the situation as “disappointing”, stating an offer from the King had been “withdrawn at the last moment”, with a looming High Court judgment against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) on Tuesday cited as the reason.
As frustration appeared to mount on both sides, it is understood that the duke initially declined the offer for himself and his family, who are no longer accompanying him to London, last Saturday. However, he later made a U-turn, asking to stay for a single night.
Buckingham Palace indicated the appropriate hospitality and staffing provisions were no longer available. The palace also reportedly believes the duke’s longstanding legal case complicated the matter and could potentially compromise the King’s constitutional position.
You can read more below:
Prince Harry will not stay at Buckingham Palace for UK visit
Prince Harry to discover if he has won case against Daily Mail
07:00 , Holly EvansThe Duke of Sussex and a group of other household names are set to find out whether they have won their High Court cases against the Daily Mail’s publisher.
During an 11-week trial earlier this year, the High Court in London heard claims brought by the group – which also includes Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish – against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) of unlawful information-gathering.
These include allegations of voicemail interception, landline tapping and obtaining information by deception – also known as “blagging”, carried out by private investigators, freelance journalists and ANL staff.
ANL strongly denies the claims and defended the case, saying it “has established a complete defence to all parts of the claims on the merits” and that the cases have been brought too late.
The trial concluded at the end of March, with Mr Justice Nicklin now expected to give a written ruling on Tuesday July 7.
What were the top allegations against the Daily Mail?
06:00 , Holly Evans- During around two hours of cross-examination in January, Harry said he could not complain about some of the 14 articles in his case at the time “because of the institution I was in”.
- Baroness Doreen Lawrence claimed the Daily Mail was “pretending” to support her in getting justice for her son Stephen Lawrence, who was murdered in a racist attack in 1993. Her lawyers claim she was “extensively targeted” by private investigators to obtain information, including through corrupt payments to police.
- Sir Elton and Mr Furnish alleged 10 articles about them were based on unlawful information gathering, including unlawfully obtained medical information and landline tapping. The couple claimed their son Zachary’s birth certificate was stolen before they received a copy, with the Rocketman singer telling the court their case “contains the most horrendous things in the world that you can ever suffer from a privacy point of view”.
- Actress Sadie Frost claimed that information behind some articles about her had been “hacked from my voicemails”, as they “were word for word” from her messages.
- Part of her claim relates to an unpublished article about a 2003 ectopic pregnancy, which Frost said she only told her partner and “maybe also one of her very close friends”.
The Middleton masterstroke: How Kate showed Harry and Meghan what a real family looks like
05:00 , Holly EvansAs far as family portraits go, the latest one from the Middletons is a blinder. Wholesome nature backdrop? Check. Cute pet? Check. And – here’s the crucial bit – smiles that actually reach their eyes? A prevailing vibe that they might actually, whisper it, like each other? Check.
The group snap in question was released as part of a fresh drop of images (cooler people than me might call it a photo “dump”, but that doesn’t feel very regal) celebrating the Princess of Wales completing the Three Peaks challenge to raise money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
Kate, who announced last year that she is in remission from cancer after undergoing chemotherapy, hiked up Scafell Pike in the Lake District, Ben Nevis in Scotland, and Snowdon, or Yr Wyddfa, in Wales over the course of a weekend, and was joined by her family after climbing the latter. The pictures released at the weekend, days ahead of Harry and his family rumoured return to the UK, show her embracing and chatting with her husband, children George, Charlotte and Louis, parents Michael and Carole and younger brother James.
Read the full analysis here:
The Middleton masterstroke: How Kate showed the royals what a real family looks like
How Harry called out press over treatment of Meghan when they were first dating
04:00 , Holly EvansThe Duchess of Sussex’s difficult experience with the press stretches back a decade to when news first broke she was dating the Duke of Sussex.
Harry, giving evidence on the verge of tears at the High Court in his legal battle against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) in January, told how the publisher of the Daily Mail “made my wife’s life an absolute misery”.
Just months after the late Queen’s grandson fell for American actress Meghan Markle, after they met on a blind date in 2016, Harry attacked the media in general over its “abuse and harassment” of his then-girlfriend.
Kensington Palace warned on his behalf: “This is not a game – it is her life.”
In a lengthy and strongly worded statement, Harry’s then-communications secretary, Jason Knauf, outlined the difficulties Meghan had experienced since news of their relationship became public.
He said Suits star Meghan had experienced “the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments”.
Mr Knauf said: “The past week has seen a line crossed. His girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment.”
Harry, who, along with Meghan quit as a senior working royal in 2020, grew up fully aware of the impact of overwhelming media intrusion on the daily life of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
Harry’s dislike of the media seemingly intensified following the birth of his first child, Prince Archie, as he sought to protect his family.
Kate talks dinosaurs and blows kisses during visit to children’s hospital
03:00 , Holly EvansThe Princess of Wales blew a kiss to a little boy with a rare vein condition during a hospital visit after the youngster made the affectionate gesture.
Kate and three-year-old Arjun traded tokens of affection when she visited Evelina London Children’s Hospital to meet children being treated at a new cardiac unit – part of a project to turn Evelina into the capital’s most comprehensive medical centre for youngsters.
She was wearing a bracelet which appeared to be made from string, made for her by her daughter Princess Charlotte when she undertook her recent Three Peaks Challenge.
Read the full article here:
Kate talks dinosaurs and blows kisses during visit to children’s hospital
What has Prince Harry's spokesperson said?
02:00 , Holly EvansA spokesman for Prince Harry said: “I am aware of multiple briefings from Buckingham Palace last week suggesting that the duke had not accepted the offer of accommodation at a royal residence.
“Following (the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures) Ravec’s decision not to provide security for his family, the duke spent last week making alternative security arrangements.
“Once those arrangements were in place, he was able to formally accept the offer of accommodation for himself over the weekend.”
The spokesman added: “It is therefore disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn, with Tuesday’s judgment in the Associated Newspapers Limited case cited as the reason.
“Buckingham Palace has, however, been aware of that judgment since last Thursday. It is therefore unclear why, having formally accepted the accommodation offer, it has now been withdrawn at the last moment.”
King Charles and Queen Camilla hire videographer to produce ‘on-trend’ content for royal household
01:00 , Holly EvansBuckingham Palace is advertising for a videographer to help the Royal family produce on-trend content for social media.
The full-time role pays £52,000 and entails the staff member working on everything from major state events to behind-the-scene moments.
It marks the first time that a videographer has been hired by a British monarch.
According to reports in The Times, King Charles is said to be “very enthusiastic” about the position.
Read the full article here:
King Charles and Queen Camilla hire videographer to produce ‘on-trend’ content
Why I fear the King will never see his grandchildren again
Tuesday 7 July 2026 00:00 , Holly EvansFor a royal couple best known for maintaining an iron grip on their sunny public profile, do I detect a little disquiet in Sussexland?
Prince Harry is making his way from America’s west coast to the UK for a five-day visit on his own. He had initially wanted his wife, Meghan, and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, to accompany him on what is first and foremost a promotional trip for next year’s Invictus Games – but also so they could be reunited with their grandfather, whom they last saw four years ago, before King Charles underwent gruelling treatment for cancer.
For reasons that are not yet fully clear, but which seem to involve an impasse about the British taxpayer providing police protection for the Californians, the Duke has decided at the eleventh hour to travel alone. The full family reunion will simply have to wait – if it ever happens at all. I now fear that the King will never see his grandchildren again.
Read the full analysis from Paul Clements here:
Why I fear the King won’t see his grandchildren again
The Middleton masterstroke: How Kate showed Harry and Meghan what a real family looks like
Monday 6 July 2026 23:00 , Holly EvansAs far as family portraits go, the latest one from the Middletons is a blinder. Wholesome nature backdrop? Check. Cute pet? Check. And – here’s the crucial bit – smiles that actually reach their eyes? A prevailing vibe that they might actually, whisper it, like each other? Check.
The group snap in question was released as part of a fresh drop of images (cooler people than me might call it a photo “dump”, but that doesn’t feel very regal) celebrating the Princess of Wales completing the Three Peaks challenge to raise money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
Kate, who announced last year that she is in remission from cancer after undergoing chemotherapy, hiked up Scafell Pike in the Lake District, Ben Nevis in Scotland, and Snowdon, or Yr Wyddfa, in Wales over the course of a weekend, and was joined by her family after climbing the latter. The pictures released at the weekend, days ahead of Harry and his family rumoured return to the UK, show her embracing and chatting with her husband, children George, Charlotte and Louis, parents Michael and Carole and younger brother James.
Read the full analysis here:
The Middleton masterstroke: How Kate showed the royals what a real family looks like
In pictures: King Charles visits The Royal Tank Regiment
Monday 6 July 2026 22:00 , Harriette Boucher
All the changes to Harry's trip to the UK so far
Monday 6 July 2026 21:30 , Harriette BoucherThe briefings for Prince Harry’s trip to the UK have changed significantly over the past two weeks due to the ongoing row over security for his family.
27 June - Harry and Meghan accepted an offer to stay in a royal residence during their visit, signifying an improving relationship with his father.
28 June - It is revealed that the Duke of Sussex was rethinking his decision to bring Meghan and his children to the UK after his request for police protection was denied.
1 July - It is announced that the judgment in Harry’s case against the publisher of the Daily Mail is due this Tuesday.
4 July - Meghan and the children revealed to not be accompanying the Duke of Sussex in London. It is not known if they join him for the rest of their trip.
6 July - Prince Harry’s spokesperson reveals that Buckingham Palace revoked its accommodation offer after the duke accepted it.
The spokesperson said Tuesday’s judgment was cited as the reason behind Buckingham Palace’s decision to withdraw the offer.
ICMYI: Duke only wanted to stay at Buckingham Palace for one night
Monday 6 July 2026 21:00 , Harriette BoucherPrince Harry had only planned to stay at Buckingham Palace for one night during to his visit to the UK.
He is said to have spent most of last week making alternative arrangements before formally accepting the offer for himself – for a single night.
According to the Press Association, the duke initially turned down the offer for himself and his family, who are no longer accompanying him to London, on Saturday, before making a U-turn later in the day and asking to stay himself.
Questions have been raised on the Sussex side as to whether the offer of a bed at a royal residence was ever intended to be available once Harry had accepted it.
The Royal Household requires a minimum level of notice to ensure he could be hosted appropriately at a royal residence.
It has been reported that he accepted the offer too late and the appropriate hospitality and staffing provision was no longer available.
The Buckingham Palace is also said to believe that the longstanding legal case against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL complicated the matter, and could compromise the King’s constitutional position.
Watch: Meghan and children will not join Harry as he arrives in London next week
Monday 6 July 2026 20:30 , Harriette BoucherCatherine visits children's hospital to hear about cancer care expansion plans
Monday 6 July 2026 20:00 , Harriette BoucherThe Princess of Wales visited the Evelina London Children’s Hospital on Wednesday to learn about its cancer care expansion plans.
The future queen is the hospital’s patron and has visited a number of times over the years to get updates about its progress and last made a trip in 2023 to open its children’s day centre.
Evelina London is expanding its services to meet increasing demand and plans are under way for a new hospital building next to the existing site, expected to open in the early 2030s.
What is Prince Harry's itinerary during his visit to England?
Monday 6 July 2026 19:30 , Harriette BoucherHarry is visiting the UK to celebrate the one-year countdown to his Invictus Games, which is being hosted in Birmingham next July.
The Invictus Games is an international multi-sport event for wounded, injured and sick military service personnel.
The duke is set to participate in events and celebrations for the lead-up to the event.
His itinerary includes a visit to Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC), the primary venue for the 2027 Games.
He is expected to watch and take part in a series of exhibition events alongside competitors from previous Invictus Games.
Meghan was expected to accompany Harry on these outings, but is unclear whether she will now come to the UK.
Harry’s itinerary also include engagements with charities Scotty’s Little Soldiers, of which he is an ambassador, and WellChild, of which he is a patron.
He was also planning to take his children to visit the grave of their grandmother, Princess Diana, at Althorp House in Northamptonshire for the first time.
It is unclear if this will still go ahead.
Why is Harry in court with Daily Mail's publisher?
Monday 6 July 2026 19:00 , Harriette BoucherPrince Harry has claimed that his invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace was revoked ahead of the expected judgement in his case against the publisher of the Daily Mail, which is due on Tuesday.
The Duke of Sussex, along with several other high-profile figures, launched legal action against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over claims that the publisher carried out or commissioned unlawful activities such as hiring private investigators to place listening devices inside cars, “blagging” private records and accessing private phone conversations.
ANL firmly denies the “preposterous” allegations, which are being tried over nine weeks in London.
A spokesperson for Harry said Tuesday’s judgment in the case was cited as the reason the offer was rescinded.
“Buckingham Palace has, however, been aware of that judgment since last Thursday,” the spokesperson said.
“It is therefore unclear why, having formally accepted the accommodation offer, it has now been withdrawn at the last moment.”
Breaking: Prince Harry arrives in the UK
Monday 6 July 2026 18:36 , Holly EvansThe Duke of Sussex has arrived in the UK, a spokesperson for Harry has confirmed.
Harry is carrying out five days of appearances in London and Birmingham, including marking the one year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games.
