Prince Harry Should Step Down From Invictus — and a Royal Expert Says It Would Solve a Major Problem
Birmingham will host the 2027 Invictus Games, but it is unclear whether Prince Harry and King Charles will make a joint appearance.
When Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games in 2014, he would hardly have thought that one day the tournament would stage the intensity of a royal rift. Unfortunately, that is the case today. Despite his reunion with King Charles, the controversy surrounding the Duke of Sussex’s strained relationship with the royal family hasn’t mellowed. In fact, as the countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham continues, the attention has largely shifted from veterans to the royal drama.
Next year, the Invictus Games will return to the UK for the first time since its debut in London. However, despite the monumental edition, it is unclear whether Harry and Charles will make a joint appearance. According to royal expert Richard Eden, “pressure” is always put on the King and Queen Camilla. “We saw this in the run-up to Harry and Meghan's visit to Britain, didn't we? We had three weeks of speculation, all about the security and whether they would bring the children,” Eden said via the Daily Mail.
He further added, “It all seems like public pressure, and it's really not the way the royal family has traditionally operated. You would expect an invitation like this to be sent out behind the scenes, and that it would all be done in private. This kind of public pressure is awful, really.” Eden reportedly believed that Harry's PR planted stories to push Charles to make an appearance at the Invictus Games next year.
Last month, Harry visited the UK for the 2027 Invictus Games events. It was also speculated that Meghan Markle and their kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, would be joining him. Then it was revealed that the Sussexes might reconcile with Charles, who hadn’t seen his grandchildren in four years. Soon after, like a continuously moving film reel, attention moved away from veterans to whether the two warring parties would reunite.
Eden had a suggestion in mind that would help the Invictus Games eliminate the “controversial element”. However, it might sit well with the Duke. “Personally, I would like to see Harry step down from it, to distance himself from Invictus. It would get rid of that controversial element, and the Games would prosper as a result,” the royal expert said.
Birmingham will host the Invictus Games from 10th to 17th July next year. The coveted tournament will then move to Daejeon, South Korea, for its 2029 edition.
