News of Prince Harry‘s latest olive branch to King Charles and Prince William has the royals backed into a corner amid the prevailing family feud. The royals have been at loggerheads for years, kicking off with Harry’s decision to abandon royal life in favor of his wife and kids back in 2020. Although the 40-year-old kept stoking the flames with scathing public revelations about the firm, he has indicated his interest in reconciling with his family in the wake of his daughter’s ongoing cancer battle. However, neither the monarch nor his older son, Prince William, seems intent on welcoming him back into the family with open arms.
In his controversial BBC interview last month, following his failed bid to secure UK police security for his family, Harry revealed he no longer had contact with his dad, as the monarch would not see him or take his calls. He then sent out an olive branch, revealing his desire for a royal reconciliation, as life was too short. The royal family, however, completely ignored the Prince’s bid for peace, silently suggesting a rejection of his outstretched arms. Remaining relentless, the Duke of Sussex has since extended another olive branch to the royal family, one they can’t so easily ignore.
King Charles and Prince William Experience Major Dilemma Over Harry’s Invite
Various news outlets have reported that Prince Harry sent out invitations to his dad, King Charles, and brother Prince William, inviting them to attend the next Invictus Games come 2027. The sporting event, which Harry founded in 2014, has been hailed as his greatest project yet, offering injured and sick military veterans across the world a chance to compete in a recognized tournament as athletes. Since his royal fallout, members of the British royal family have noticeably been absent from the events that the royals once took pride in.
While it is unclear if the Prince has reached out to his family ahead of the games held previously and got snubbed, making the invitation public this time would have King Charles and William carefully reconsidering their responses, especially as the upcoming event would take place in the UK.
Speaking on The Sun Royal Exclusive show, royal correspondent Bronte Coy revealed that this invitation is causing a stir within royal walls. According to her, while the public would respect and sympathize with whatever decision the royals make in this case, considering their grievances against Harry, who spoke ill of them publicly, they would come off as petty regardless, for putting personal grudges over offering support to veterans. She explained,
“It’s in the UK and you’re talking about the military community, of which the royals are very, very entwined. You do run the risk of looking a bit petty if they don’t go and support it, given their position in supporting the military community.”
A Complicated Situation
This double-edged nature of Prince Harry’s Invictus Games invitation makes it difficult for the royals to make a decision regarding their attendance. Coy described it as a “particularly complicated” situation, which would spark lots of deep conversations in the palace. Speaking on the major dilemma the news poses to King Charles and Prince William, a former palace spokesperson Dickie Arbiter divulged,
“It would cause a massive headache because you don’t just roll over, having been rubbished for such a long time. There’s an equation to this, and the other half to the equation is Mrs Sussex.”
Arbiter noted that while backing them into a corner may indeed ensure the royals’ presence at the games, Harry needed to “clear up a lot of bad air” to make that happen. Notably, having the game held in Birmingham, England, per news reports, may have the work cut out for Prince Harry. It, however, does not guarantee Prince Charles’ or Prince William’s presence.
In fact, the Prince learned this firsthand last May, when he graced London to attend the Invictus Games’ 10th anniversary event. Despite being only a few miles away, no member of the royal family set foot at the event. Additionally, Harry’s attempt to reunite with his dad before leaving the UK also proved futile, prompting the Prince to release a statement announcing his dad refused to see him due to his packed schedule. If this royal precedence was anything to go by, an event in support of veterans may prove insufficient to pull Charles and William’s strings come 2027.
