NEED TO KNOW
- Prince Harry is back in the U.K. for a court date in his lawsuit against Associated Newspapers
- The Duke of Sussex, 41, is one of several high-profile claimants accusing the Daily Mail publisher of alleged illegal information gathering
- Prince Harry’s appearance comes amid a report that the official U.K. security he has long sought will be restored
Prince Harry is back in the U.K. for the next stage of his lawsuit against the publishers of the Daily Mail.
The Duke of Sussex arrived at London’s High Court on Monday, Jan. 19, after traveling from his home in Montecito, Calif., for the start of what is expected to be a nine-week trial.
Harry is “feeling confident and ready,” his spokesperson tells PEOPLE, as the long-running case against Associated Newspapers moves forward. He is suing the media group — 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.
High-profile figures including Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley and Jude Law’s ex-wife, Sadie Frost, are also claimants in the litigation, which accuses the newspaper group of unlawful practices such as phone hacking.
The case marks the final chapter in a series of legal battles Harry has pursued against British newspapers — a fight he has vowed to see through.
“This is the culmination of what has been years of litigation,” a source tells PEOPLE, referring to Harry’s cases involving the publishers of The Sun, the Mirror newspapers and now Associated Newspapers. “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?”
Harry, 41. is expected to attend court on some of the coming days and is slated to be the first witness to take the stand on Thursday, Jan. 22.
While the Duke of Sussex, 41, will be in London as the trial begins, it is unlikely that he will see his father, Charles, who is spending time in Scotland following the holidays and has public engagements there this week.
The father and son last saw each other in September 2025, when Harry had tea at the King’s Clarence House home during a U.K. visit tied to his charitable work. It was their first in-person meeting in 18 months amid the ongoing rift that became public after Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back from royal duties in 2020.
The Duke of Sussex’s appearance in the U.K. comes amid reports that his official, state-funded security could be restored for future visits to the U.K. Harry and Meghan lost that protection and the deep level of security intelligence that comes with it when they departed their royal roles in 2020 and moved to California.
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On Jan. 3, The Mail on Sunday reported that a new review determined that Harry met the criteria to have that security restored in the U.K., alleging that the ruling was “expected to be announced within weeks.”
The Duke of Sussex has long fought for his security to be reinstated, including a high-profile court battle he lost in February 2024 and an appeal dismissed in May 2025.
A ruling in his favor could make it possible for his children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, to visit England in the future, as Harry’s lawyers have argued that he “does not feel safe” bringing his kids to his home country without taxpayer-funded security.
Insiders previously told PEOPLE there had been “positive” signals from the government and that there was cautious optimism his security could be upgraded.
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