The 2027 Invictus Games Are Going to Be Complicated for Harry and Meghan—and Not Just Because of the Royal Family
The Invictus Games are heading back to the U.K. in 2027. That means Prince Harry—and likely, Meghan Markle—will be back on British soil together for what could be the first time since 2022. But, like most everything with the couple since their split from the monarchy, it’s poised to be complicated. Yes, there’s the royal family angle—Will they go to the games? There are also other big issues that have plagued the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for years.
Going back to the U.K. for the 2027 Invictus Games means ‘awkward debates’
Birmingham, England, is hosting the 2027 Invictus Games after winning out over Washington, D.C. With it comes disadvantages for Harry and Meghan, according to royal commentator Jack Royston.
“It means choosing awkward debates about whether the royals should attend the tournament,” he said on the “Royal Report” podcast (via Newsweek). “And whether it’s a snub when certain relatives inevitably don’t go,” he said.
“I mean, obviously, I cannot imagine in a million years that [Prince] William and Kate [Middleton] will go,” he said of Harry’s estranged brother and sister-in-law. “But I’m actually not sure that [King] Charles and [Queen] Camilla will either. You know, you might see Princess Eugenie possibly. But even then, I wouldn’t count on it.”
He palace, he noted, is likely to “get a little bit institutional about it,” taking “the view that the royals can’t be seen to officially endorse anything that Harry does outside of his time as a working royal.”
“Otherwise, that could be commercialized. It could be profited from. And that is not supposed to be the royal family’s vibe.”
The British press will have ‘home-field advantage’ over Harry and Meghan
In addition to the complexities surrounding the royal family and the 2027 Invictus Games, there’s also the issue of returning to the U.K. and tabloids.
“Choosing Britain means choosing to give a home-field advantage to the British press, who are so regularly hostile to them,” Royston said of Harry and Meghan.
The tabloids were a big part of why the couple left royal life in 2020. In the final days of 2019, they put some distance between themselves and the U.K. tabloid press, spending the holiday season in Vancouver Island, Canada.
Harry later said in his Spare memoir that they went there partly because of its remote location, making it less accessible to media.
Security is another issue for Harry and Meghan at the 2027 Invictus Games
Finally, the last issue facing Harry and Meghan at the Invictus Games will be security. At the time of writing, Harry’s legal battle to get police protection for his family when they’re on U.K. soil is ongoing. It comes after things didn’t go his way in February 2024.
In a July 2024 interview for ITV’s Tabloids on Trial documentary, Harry credited security as the reason Meghan hasn’t joined him on visits to the U.K. in recent years.
“It’s still dangerous,” Harry said (via The Hollywood Reporter). “And all it takes is one lone actor, one person who reads this stuff to act on what they have read.”
“And whether it’s a knife or acid, whatever it is, and these are things that are of genuine concern for me,” he continued. “It’s one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country.”
Most recently, it was the Invictus Games anniversary in May 2024 that prompted security concerns for the Sussexes. What reportedly could’ve been a family trip soon became a solo one for Harry after details were leaked.
The monarchy hasn’t provided Harry and Meghan with security since they formally stepped back as working royals in 2020. Since then they’ve paid for a private security detail.
