The duke is carrying on with engagements during his return trip to the UK.

The Duke of Sussex has held private meetings at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the day after his High Court defeat.

Harry carried on with his five-day run of solo engagements in the UK on Wednesday, but without the presence of the media.

No external press was permitted into the event in London, with plans for pool media coverage changing the day before, with the decision attributed to the heatwave.

Harry smiles as he chats to people at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London
Harry at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London (David Levene/Invictus Games Foundation/PA)

A public-facing moment was said to have been removed from the agenda at the heritage site because of the soaring temperatures and old buildings at the historic central London venue.

The duke is set to continue allowing pooled media to cover the rest of his events this week.

The Duchess of Sussex had originally been due to attend the Royal Hospital Chelsea with Harry, but the plans were switched last week when it was decided Meghan, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet would not join the duke in London due to concerns over security.

Harry learned on Tuesday at the start of an Invictus Games appearance at Chatham House that he had lost his case over allegations of unlawful information gathering against the publisher of the Daily Mail.

Harry outside in the middle of a group photo in the sunshine at the Royal Hospital Chelsea
Harry at the private event on Wednesday (David Levene/Invictus Games Foundation/PA)

Judge Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed all of the claims directed at Associated Newspapers Limited by Harry and other household names, including Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Sir Elton John.

The duke has been criticised for his reaction to losing the legal battle after he branded the ruling, in a joint statement with Lady Lawrence, a “complete and obvious whitewash”.

David Yelland, presenter of BBC Radio 4’s When It Hits the Fan and former editor of The Sun, wrote on X: “The statement from Harry is incredible, he makes accusations against the Judge and has dragged Doreen Lawrence further into a PR disaster which is truly sad.

“I have often defended Harry, but the statement is a real error.”

The Duke of Sussex entered Chatham House on Tuesday for the first public event of his stay
The Duke of Sussex entered Chatham House on Tuesday for the first public event of his stay (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Harry was met on arrival on Wednesday by Invictus Games Foundation trustee and chief executive of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, David Richmond, former competitor Josh Boggi, and Invictus’s deputy chief executive, Richard Smith.

He attended a planning meeting with international team managers ahead of the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027 and joined a strategy session with former Invictus hosts and partners for the future of the Invictus Movement.

The duke, in an open-necked white shirt and dark jacket, was pictured looking relaxed and smiling as he chatted with guests.

He was also shown in the middle of a group shot, taken in the shade next to a wall, amid the sunshine.

The King speaks with specialist officers from the drone team as he officially opens the headquarters of the British Transport Police in central London
The King speaks with specialist officers from the drone team as he officially opens the headquarters of the British Transport Police in central London (Shane Anthony Sinclair/PA)

The King’s youngest son missed out on staying at Buckingham Palace after rejecting Charles’s accommodation offer for his family, then accepting too late for himself.

The appropriate hospitality and staffing provision was said to be no longer available, with the Palace suggesting the duke’s longstanding legal case had complicated the matter and could compromise the King’s constitutional position.

Later on Wednesday, Harry will gather for a series of private planning events ahead of this year’s inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards.

Queen Camilla uses a fan to keep cool in the royal box at Wimbledon
Camilla uses a fan to keep cool in the royal box at Wimbledon (Mike Egerton/PA)

Meanwhile, the King was also in London, opening the headquarters of the British Transport Police and meeting officers who dealt with the Bedfordshire train crash.

And Harry’s stepmother the Queen spent the day at Wimbledon, where she was spotted holding an electric fan to keep cool, as she cheered on British wildcard Arthur Fery, who won his quarter-final in straight sets.

More from Perspective

Get a free copy of our print edition

News

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Fill out this field
Fill out this field
Please enter a valid email address.
You need to agree with the terms to proceed

Your email address will not be published. The views expressed in the comments below are not those of Perspective. We encourage healthy debate, but racist, misogynistic, homophobic and other types of hateful comments will not be published.