Prince Harry is expected to invite his father to next year’s Invictus Games in a bid to heal their strained relationship.
Prince Harry is working to mend his relationship with his father (Image: Getty)
King Charles has been handed a stark five-word warning over his relationship with Prince Harry. It comes amid reports that the Duke of Sussex is set to invite his father to join him at the 2027 Invictus Games in a bid for reconciliation.
The King was reunited with his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire earlier this summer. It was his first meeting with them in four years, and many onlookers viewed it as a positive step toward mending the strained relationship between the King and his son. Harry now hopes to improve relations further by extending an “olive branch” to his father with an invitation to next year’s Invictus Games.
As reported by the Daily Mail, journalist and royal commentator Amanda Platell has dubbed the move a “squalid ploy” and warned Charles that “we may never forgive you”. She said accepting the invitation would be a “grave mistake” and a decision that his “loyal subjects may never forgive”.
Ms Platell, who was press secretary to Conservative Party leader William Hague from 1999 to 2001, describes Harry’s potential invitation to the event in Birmingham as a “cynical ploy” rather than a “genuine appeal” for reconciliation.
She claims that the King’s presence at the Invictus Games would draw more attention to the event and, in turn, generate more money for the Sussexes. It’s argued that pictures of the King alongside his once-estranged son would go viral on social media and help promote the event.
Prince Harry visited the UK in early July to promote the next Invictus Games. He led official “One Year to Go” countdown events to the tournament, which will be hosted in Birmingham next year.
Harry is expected to invite the King to next year’s Invictus Games (Image: Getty)
During the trip, the Duke of Sussex was joined by his wife, Meghan Markle, and their children for a private meeting with King Charles and Queen Camilla. It was the first time the king and queen were known to have seen Meghan and their grandchildren since 2022.
However, Ms Platell has described Harry as “deluded” if he thinks the brief meeting means he’s “back in his dad’s good books”. She has urged the King to decline the invitation to the Invictus Games, as it will only benefit Harry.
The breakdown of the relationship between the King and his son is driven by public allegations and disagreements over UK security. The prince openly criticised his father during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 before targeting Camilla in his memoir, Spare, two years later.
After stepping down as a working royal, Harry lost his automatic right to tax-funded police protection. He has since expressed frustration and a sense of grievance regarding the removal, claiming the decision puts his family at risk.