King Charles to miss Prince Harry’s London visit as he holidays in Romania

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King Charles III will miss the Duke of Sussex’s visit to London next week as he plans to go on a holiday retreat in Romania.

Prince Harry is returning to the High Court in June as he takes Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) to court over allegations of phone hacking.

It is understood that in the same week, the King will be visiting his holiday home in Romania for five days, a stripped-back former farmhouse in a cosy hamlet in Zalanpatak.

It comes after Harry’s brief visit to England for his father’s coronation earlier this month, during which he stayed in London for less than 24 hours before flying straight back to Los Angeles.

The visit follows another trip made by the duke to the UK in late March for his phone hacking lawsuit claim against The Daily Mail. It is understood he did not see the King or other members of the royal family at the time.

King Charles has a long history with Romania, where he owns at least 10 properties. The first property he bought there is a Saxon house in the village of Viscri, purchased in 2006.

The hideaway is surrounded by hills and meadows of the Zalan Valley, which is frequented by wildlife such as wolves and bears.

Queen Camilla will not be joining him on his annual visit to the holiday home, leaving the 74-year-old monarch to enjoy some “R and R” during the first year of his new role.

Prince Harry made brief visit to London for his father’s coronation last month. (PA/Toby Melville)
Prince Harry made brief visit to London for his father’s coronation last month. (PA/Toby Melville)

The holiday home has no wifi, TV or radio, but the drawing room now has a small hi-fi player with CDs.

It has seven double rooms with en-suite bathrooms in three heritage cottages, each furnished with authentic Transylvanian antiques and textiles. Charles is understood to sleep in a “little wooden bed” when he stays at the property.

The holiday retreat is typically rented out to visitors, with double rooms for an all inclusive-stay starting at £140 per night.

It is not known where Harry will stay while in London, after he and the Duchess of Sussex were asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage this year.

In March, while in the UK for his court case against The Daily Mail, the duke was believed to have stayed in Frogmore Cottage for the last time in order to sort out his and Meghan’s belongings that would be shipped to their home in Montecito, California.

The Independent has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.