One royal expert predicts that Prince Harry “desperately wants” his father to accompany him at the Invictus Games next year.
When Prince Harry made a brief-but-welcome return to the UK last September, few could have predicted the significance that visit might come to hold. But it now seems his private meeting with King Charles at Clarence House reopened a door many feared had closed for good, raising hopes that father and son could be heading for a reconciliation.
Following reports that will bring joy to millions of royal watchers, it is believed Harry is now set to ask the King to play a key role at next year’s Invictus Games, which will take place in the UK for the first time since 2014. Last week royal sources claimed Harry “desperately wants Charles at Invictus”, ideally opening the event on stage alongside him.
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Without a doubt, Charles’s appearance would delight royal fans and put an even brighter light on the occasion, which honors fallen military personnel and veterans, in a more meaningful way.
And while the focus might be firmly on Harry and his relationship with his father, the prospect of the Invictus Games returning to the UK also raises the question of whether his wife, Meghan, might be at his side. The duchess has previously supported Harry at Invictus events and, BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the Mirror, she would not want to be seen to snub a cause so close to her husband’s heart.
Jennie remarked, “Meghan is a smart woman.” She “must be aware that she may encounter some hostility in the UK,” according to the Invictus Games’ bubble.
They “love her,” so perhaps she would come to support Harry as she has always done at Invictus. Affirming otherwise would unavoidably make her presence as noteworthy as being absent. Meghan can’t stand the UK, according to the headlines, if they were needed!
Six years ago, Meghan and Harry sensationally left the royal family and are now residing in Montecito, California, with their two children, Lilibet, four, and Archie, six. However, the prince left the UK with a palpable spring following his summit in Clarence House in September, according to a spokesman who later claimed he had “loved” being back in his birth country.
His conversation with Charles was undoubtedly more enjoyable than the previous meeting, which took place after Harry flew to London in February 2024 in response to the King’s cancer diagnosis.
After losing his High Court case to get his taxpayer-funded police protection reinstated, it also gave hope that Harry is now considering making additional visits. Prior to that, which seemed less likely, Harry had previously lost his hope.
The Duke of Sussex had been hoping to overturn a decision to downgrade his security while in the UK, which came into play after he stepped down as a working royal. Following the decision, Harry publicly blamed his father for “this security stuff” and said he “can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK”.
Jennie believes that this could be crucial in determining whether or not future trips to the UK are deemed worthwhile for the Sussexes because he is currently awaiting a Home Office review of the decision. The King and his grandchildren Archie and Lilibet, who he hasn’t seen since they attended the late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, might also experience a long-overdue reunion.
There will be no clear reason to stop them from reuniting as a family if the security review determines the level of protection Harry demands, Jennie said. And I’m certain that King Charles will enjoy getting to know his children.
What is far less clear is whether Prince William – whose relationship with Harry has previously been described as beyond repair – would be on board with any Invictus-based reunions.
The Prince of Wales and his wife, Princess Catherine, both attended the inaugural games in 2014, but it is not thought that he has spoken to him since their grandmother’s death in September 2022. After Harry’s memoir, Spare, three years ago, in which he detailed bitter rows with his brother in obscene detail, the pair broke up spectacularly.
Jennie explained that Charles will have a problem if he supports Harry because he won’t be perceived as having favors with one son over the other.
She stated, “Invictus has turned out to be crucial. Any father would want to help his son as the games come to the UK because it is Harry’s greatest achievement and his greatest cause. However, the King’s family matters never are, which is regrettable.
It might turn out to be a classic example of a father having to choose between his conflicting sons. If Charles publicly backed Harry and the games, we can only imagine how William might feel.
Despite Catherine and Charles receiving devastating cancer diagnoses, William has bitten his lip, risen above the accusations, and remained cuffed to the job. It would be difficult to watch his father salute Harry’s accomplishments while standing on a very public platform. But the King might have to deal with that issue.
Nonetheless, organisers of the Games, which have since taken place in the US, Canada, Australia, Netherlands and Germany, have hinted they expect a healthy turnout of senior royals. Last week a spokesman said: “The royal family have been longstanding supporters of the Invictus Games since its inception in 2014.
The Invictus Games Birmingham 2027 organizers will send invitations to members of the Royal Family in due course, and we would very much welcome their presence. “While it is too early to confirm who will attend in 2027, invitations have not yet been sent out.
The week-long event will kick off at the city’s NEC on 10 July, ending on Queen Camilla ’s 80th birthday on the 17th. While this presents the King with an awkward scheduling clash, a source said last week that the games’ planning committees are well aware of Camilla’s birthday, but hope Charles would still be able to attend the opening ceremony and various events “while still honouring commitments” to his wife.
Harry is completely aware of what is happening with Invictus, according to the insider. He anticipates having his father play the opening game, and other royals are hoping to join him.
Harry has previously described the games as a “spirit of unity,” but Jennie believes much more significant conversations will need to take place in private settings. Even if they do manage to help bridge the family rift, Jennie believes that the conversation must continue.
She said, “I believe that any reunion between the King and Harry and his family should take place quietly and behind closed doors. The King will have to consider everyone’s feelings because it continues to be the most sensitive situation.
Source: Mirror
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