Prince Harry surprised royal watchers on Monday when he made an unexpected appearance at London's High Court.
Harry, 38, made the trip from Montecito to attend a court case against the publishers of the Daily Mail, ANL (Associated Newspapers Limited).
The Prince is among a group of high-profile individuals who are bringing claims of misuse of private information and alleged unlawful information gathering. Watch his arrival at court here...
Despite his stay in the capital – Harry is believed to be staying at Frogmore Cottage ahead of his eviction – a family reunion looks unlikely.
He is not expected to see either King Charles nor Prince William.
© Getty ImagesAnd, in keeping with protocol, the royal family have not commented to Harry's return.
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It's a position also adopted by Harry's maternal uncle, Charles Spencer.
Despite having a close bond with both William and Harry, Charles has chosen not to engage in the public furore over Harry's explosive claims in recent months.
© Photo: Getty ImagesAnd he similarly chose to focus on his home life following Harry's return to the UK.
In the hours after the first photos of the Prince appeared, Charles instead posted a spectacular photo showing a bird of prey in the grounds of Althorp, the Spencer family's ancestral seat.
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"Buzzard watching me closely in Althorp's garden," the 58-year-old captioned his post.
Harry's trip back to the UK is likely to be bittersweet; it's likely one of the very last times he will stay at Frogmore before it is returned to the Crown Estate.
Harry and wife Meghan have still not confirmed their attendance at the King's coronation in May. Should they attend, they might be based at Frogmore but royal watchers must wait and see whether the Sussexes make the trip.
© Getty ImagesThe late Queen Elizabeth II gifted Harry and Meghan use of the cottage in 2018, shortly after the couple got married. Officially, however, the Crown Estate owns the property.
From 2019 until quitting life as "working royals" in 2020, Harry and Meghan lived in the cottage, carrying out some $3 million worth of taxpayer-funded renovations, though they have since repaid the cost in full through a contribution to the Sovereign Grant.
The couple moved abroad in January 2020, first to Canada before eventually settling in their current $14.7 million home in Montecito. Still, they did return to their residence in Windsor from time to time, including in June 2022 to celebrate Lilibet's first birthday and in the wake of Queen Elizabeth's death last September.
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