Prince Harry left Chatham House with a smile, a thumbs up and cheers from the crowd of "Harry, Harry," echoing across the square as he climbed into his car.
It was a defiant image, but it masked what had clearly been a devastating day for the self-proclaimed dragon-slayer.
Just hours earlier, the Duke of Sussex had learned that his High Court claim against Associated Newspapers Ltd, brought alongside Sir Elton John, Baroness Doreen Lawrence and others over alleged unlawful information gathering, had been dismissed.
Associated described the ruling as an "overwhelming victory" and a "magnificent vindication" of its journalism.
Harry had arrived at Chatham House after lunch, 30 minutes early for an Invictus Games Foundation conference, smiling as he greeted hosts, and even journalists, before disappearing inside.
© Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty ImagesAt this point, he may have had an inkling of what was coming from Mr Justice Nicklin, but he gave nothing away.
When he took to the stage about an hour later, however, moments after the ruling was shared publicly, his reaction was hard to mask.
Harry looked red-faced and, despite joking that everyone had turned up for the air conditioning, did not appear at ease. His voice sounded reedy as he delivered a six-minute speech. Over the years, I've watched him speak passionately about the Invictus Games with a conviction and enthusiasm that was always inspiring. Today, the spark was missing.
He rallied later, smiling broadly as he officially welcomed Uganda into the Invictus family, briefly clowning around with a commemorative plaque and playing to the crowd, but it felt like a glimpse of the old Harry rather than the one standing in front of us today.
© JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty ImagesWhatever vision he had had for his return to Britain – a family visit with the King, a victory speech after a court win or even a warm reconnection with the British public – appeared to have dissolved before his eyes.
Surrounded by fellow veterans, the former soldier had support form his team, but it was clear that the case was on his mind as he listened to panel discussions. Once they had wrapped, he disappeared for talks with his lawyer David Sherborne, who I had spotted entering the building via a side door.
There is no denying the profound impact that press intrusion has had on Harry throughout his life, particularly during his childhood. But the toll of this legal crusade has also been immense. It has cost him millions financially and, arguably, even more emotionally.
His determination to keep fighting has never been in doubt. Yet I can't help wondering whether, in relentlessly picking over the past, he has prolonged the wounds that he has spent so many years trying to heal.
