Prince Harry arrived at London’s High Court this week for the opening days of his legal battle against the Daily Mail, but it wasn’t court filings or press freedom that dominated online chatter.
It was his hair.
Photos of the Duke of Sussex outside the courthouse quickly circulated on social media, with users pointing out what appeared to be noticeably thinning hair at the crown. Within hours, comparisons were being made to a recent Instagram video shared by Meghan Markle, where Harry appeared to have significantly more volume on top.
One viral post summed up the mood bluntly: “Did Harry leave his hair in Montecito?”
The post, shared widely on X, joked that Meghan’s “recent” clip showed Harry with “plenty of hair,” while his London appearance told a very different story. Others questioned whether the video was a throwback, cleverly reposted, or simply shot at a more flattering angle.
Umm did Harry leave his hair in Montecito? 👀 Because Meghan’s “recent” video shows him with plenty of hair, but in the UK today he’s alarmingly bald… so either that clip is OLD or he forgot to carry his hair 😭🤣 pic.twitter.com/RGRgXYvlv7
— Queen Esther (@XOQueenEsther) January 19, 2026
Memes followed quickly. “I visited London and all I got was hair loss,” one user wrote. Another suggested Harry might have “forgotten to pack his hair” for the flight.
The contrast became clickbait gold, especially given the timing. Harry was in court to challenge alleged unlawful information gathering by the Daily Mail — a serious case involving multiple high-profile claimants — but online attention veered elsewhere.
British outlet LBC noted that Harry’s appearance had become a talking point, adding that hair loss runs deep in the Mountbatten-Windsor family. Princes William and Edward both lost their hair early, while King Charles has also experienced thinning over the years.
Experts cited by the outlet pointed to male pattern baldness, a genetically driven condition often inherited through the maternal line. Stress, age, and hormones can also accelerate the process — factors Harry arguably hasn’t been short on as a member of the royal family.
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Still, the timing raised eyebrows. Sky Australia, via LBC, previously reported unverified claims that Harry and Meghan are highly selective about approved photographs, allegedly rejecting images where lighting emphasizes his bald spot. Those reports resurfaced as side-by-side comparisons spread across social platforms.
Meanwhile, per Geo TV, a separate wave of online commentary went further. Some users accused Meghan of using filters or editing techniques in the Instagram clip, while others floated more dramatic theories involving hair patches or enhancements. None of those claims have been substantiated.
Geo News reported that Meghan faced jokes after the video went viral, with critics urging Harry to “just shave it all off” rather than fuel speculation. Others defended the couple, pointing out that lighting, camera angles, and older footage can dramatically change appearances.
Spare some hair???
Prince Harry arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice in London for his lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Ltd.
I wonder if he has any regrets about mocking his brother Prince William’s hair loss in his book *Spare*. pic.twitter.com/B5ED0IcMlH
— Marla Hohner (@marlahohner) January 19, 2026
Adding to the irony, Harry has previously spoken openly about his discomfort with media scrutiny — particularly around image control and press intrusion. Yet once again, the internet zeroed in on a personal detail far removed from the legal arguments unfolding inside the courtroom.
Back in court, Harry’s barrister, David Sherborne, focused on claims involving unlawful information gathering, including testimony linked to Baroness Doreen Lawrence and coverage following the murder of her son, Stephen Lawrence. The proceedings are expected to stretch over several weeks.
Online, however, attention remains firmly fixed above Harry’s eyebrows.
Whether the Instagram clip was old, filtered, or simply kinder lighting, the moment highlights a familiar reality for public figures: no matter the seriousness of the occasion, social media will always find something else to talk about.
In Prince Harry’s case, this week, it just happened to be his hair.
