Prince Harry presses on with closed-door Invictus meetings day after crushing High Court defeat
No external press was permitted into the event in London after plans for pool media coverage changed the day before
The Duke of Sussex pressed on with private meetings at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, just one day after his crushing High Court defeat.
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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 after plans for pool media coverage changed the day before, with the decision attributed to the heatwave.
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.
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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.
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, 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.”
Harry was welcomed on Wednesday by Invictus officials and former competitor Josh Boggi before attending planning and strategy meetings ahead of the Birmingham 2027 Games.
The duke was pictured looking relaxed and smiling as he chatted with guests later in the day.
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.