King Charles Departs London Without Meeting Prince Harry on Day of Duke's Emotional Court Appearance
The King has left London without meeting his son, the Duke of Sussex, on the very day Prince Harry appeared visibly emotional during his high-profile trial against the publisher of the Daily Mail. Charles attended a reception in support of Indonesian conservation efforts at Lancaster House on Wednesday morning, just two miles from where his son began giving evidence in person in his legal battle.
Royal Engagements Amid Family Distance
Charles, who was away in Scotland at the start of the week when Harry arrived back in the UK, conducted his engagements at Lancaster House, which is next door to his Clarence House residence. The King was joined by the President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, with the two leaders pictured smiling broadly together at an audience afterwards at nearby St James's Palace.
Charles, seen sheltering under his own large black umbrella as he departed, joked about the rainy downpours in the capital as he shook hands with the president. He prompted laughter as he remarked to the Indonesian leader: "Sorry about the weather." Charles and the president then enjoyed a cup of tea as they met representatives and members of the Peusangan Elephant Conservation Initiative and other bodies in the Grand Hall.
Prince Harry's Emotional Courtroom Testimony
Meanwhile, Prince Harry began giving evidence in his legal battle against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), the publisher of the Daily Mail. After around two hours in the witness box, Harry, on the verge of tears with his voice cracking, said during the trial: "They continue to come after me, they have made my wife's life an absolute misery."
The duke was reunited with Charles for the first time in 19 months on his last visit to the UK in September, and the two, who have had a troubled relationship, had afternoon tea at Clarence House, with Harry describing his father as "great". However, the King and the duke were not believed to have seen each other this time, with Charles following the general principle that a sovereign should steer clear of any active legal proceedings.
Other Royal Activities and Legal Context
The Queen, Harry's stepmother, was meanwhile away carrying out engagements in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, where she joined former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell-Horner to mark the 30th anniversary of the cancer support charity Maggie's. Harry, Sir Elton John, his husband David Furnish, campaigner Baroness Doreen Lawrence, politician Sir Simon Hughes, and actresses Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley are all bringing legal action against ANL over allegations of unlawful information gathering.
This includes claims that information for articles was obtained by carrying out or commissioning unlawful activities such as phone tapping and "blagging" private records. ANL has strongly denied wrongdoing and is defending the claims. Charles and Harry, 41, are now said to be in regular contact despite their past difficulties.
Health Updates and Reconciliation Hopes
Just over a month ago, the King, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2024, shared the good news in a televised broadcast that his schedule of treatment was being reduced from the New Year, describing it as a "personal blessing". In May, the duke gave an interview to the BBC in which he claimed the King would not speak to him because of his legal fight with the Home Office over security and he did not know "how much longer my father has" as he described his hopes for a "reconciliation".
The sit-down chat came after the duke lost a Court of Appeal challenge over his security arrangements while in the UK. Before the King arrived at Lancaster House, a roundtable discussion was staged to mobilise support for the conservation of Indonesia's biodiversity and landscapes, including through the Peusangan Elephant Conservation Initiative which focuses on protecting critically endangered Sumatran elephants and the forests on which they depend.
The talks were co-hosted by the UK's minister for Indo-Pacific, Seema Malhotra, and Indonesian special presidential envoy on energy and environment, Hashim Djojohadikusumo. This conservation effort highlights the King's ongoing commitment to environmental causes, even as family matters remain in the public eye.
