NEED TO KNOW
- King Charles and Prince Harry are both in the U.K. as the Duke of Sussex returns to his home country for a court case
- However, the father and son were 400 miles away from each other on Monday, as the King stepped out in Scotland
- There are no plans for the pair, who last saw each other in September 2025, to reunite during this trip
King Charles and Prince Harry may both be in the U.K., but they likely won’t cross paths this time.
While the Duke of Sussex appeared at London’s High Court on Monday, Jan. 19, his father was about 400 miles away in Edinburgh, Scotland.
At the Palace of Holyroodhouse, King Charles celebrated national entrepreneurialism at a reception marking the Scotland Investment Forum. The King, 77, was seen sipping whisky from Falkirk distillery Rosebank, toasting with John Swinney, First Minister of Scotland, and Kate Forbes, Deputy First Minister.
Managing director Leonard Russell cautioned the monarch, saying, “Be careful, Sir, it’s high strength,” according to Hello! magazine.
The King then joked that the “terrible thing” about the whisky tasting was that the “photograph is never the most fetching,” the outlet reported.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry, 41, traveled from his California home to attend the first day of what is expected to be a nine-week trial. The Duke of Sussex and other high-profile figures, including Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, are suing Associated Newspapers — which publishes the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday and Mail Online — over allegations of illegal information gathering. Associated Newspapers has “vigorously denied” the claims, according to the BBC.
Harry is “feeling confident and ready,” his spokesperson tells PEOPLE.
“This is the culmination of what has been years of litigation,” a source tells PEOPLE, referring to the Duke of Sussex’s cases involving various U.K. publishers. “He sees this as an injustice that needs to be righted.”
“People often don’t have the means to stand up to the might of the British tabloid media,” the source continues. “But he is a fortunate man in that he is a man of means and has the ability to do this, and he has the will and strength of character to take them on. He sees it in the sense that if he doesn’t do it, who will?”
Prince Harry is slated to be the first witness to take the stand on Thursday, Jan. 22.
Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
Although Prince Harry reunited with King Charles during his September visit to the U.K., he likely won’t see his father this time. The reunion was a landmark moment for the pair, who have been estranged in recent years. Those close to Harry previously told PEOPLE that the King had not been taking his son’s calls, and messages had been left unanswered.
Last May, Prince Harry told BBC News that he would love “reconciliation” with his family. He also recognized that some of his actions in recent years, including writing his memoir Spare, had made it difficult for members of his family to talk to him.
One sticking point has been Prince Harry’s fight to have his police protection reinstated during visits to his home country, but insiders recently told PEOPLE there had been “positive” signs from the government regarding a reversal of the decision — which could mean more visits to the U.K. are possible.
The Duke of Sussex has repeatedly said that without official security cover, he doesn’t feel safe bringing his wife, Meghan Markle, 44, and their two children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, to the country of his birth.
Read the full article here