A week ago, Prince Harry surprised everyone when he suddenly turned up at court in London to attend the first day of a four-day hearing in his lawsuit against the Mail/ANL. The British media had no idea that Harry had flown in, and I strongly suspect that Harry’s family only got a heads up about his visit maybe an hour or two before he arrived in court. The frantic energy of the Telegraph’s claim that King Charles “refused” to see Harry and that Charles told Harry that he was “too busy” to spend time with him had the feel of last-minute lies and a desperate attempt from the family to impose themselves on Harry’s newscycle. There were questions though – where was Harry staying and how was he able to keep everything quiet and secure? Sources told Fox News last week that Harry had “stayed with friends” in London, and some suggested that perhaps that meant Elton John? Now the Telegraph claims that Harry spent some or all of last week at Frogmore Cottage.

Prince Harry stayed at Frogmore Cottage during his visit for the phone hacking lawsuit claim against the Daily Mail after being asked to move out of the home. It is understood the Duke of Sussex stayed at the Windsor property before making his surprise appearance at the Royal Courts of Justice last week.

The Duke arrived in the UK last weekend and is thought to have flown back on Thursday night. He appeared in court on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and is thought likely to have also used the visit to sort out the couple’s belongings and work out what needs to be shipped to the US ahead of vacating the property.

Harry did not see the King before his state visit to Germany as he was at Highgrove, a 90-minute drive from Frogmore, and was said to be too busy.

It was the first time the 38-year-old Duke had returned to the UK since his father told him he would be asked to leave the property. The King had asked the Sussexes to vacate the five-bedroom Georgian property around the time the Duke’s memoir, Spare, was published in the New Year. Both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were said to have been “disappointed” by the decision to offer the five-bedroom Georgian property – a cottage they were said to have “made their home” – to the Duke of York.

The couple have been given until just after the Coronation to vacate the home, although they have not yet confirmed whether they will attend the May 6 ceremony.

[From The Telegraph]

I have absolutely zero evidence to back this up, but my theory is that Harry didn’t immediately go to Frogmore Cottage because that would have alerted his garbage family, and they would have sold him out before he stepped out of the car at the London court. I think at first, Harry was staying in London, probably with some rich friend or someone with a very secure home. And then once the cat was out of the proverbial bag about his visit to London, Harry probably did go to Frogmore, possibly to spend a few nights and/or pack up more of the Sussexes’ things. I absolutely believe he spent last Wednesday in Windsor – that was the only day he wasn’t in court.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.