King Charles ‘Can’t Not Go’ to Prince Harry’s 2027 Invictus Games
Put King Charles III as RSVP’ing yes to the 2027 Invictus Games. Prince Harry’s father “can’t not go” when the sporting competition returns to England. According to an expert, the monarch would look seriously “petty” if he didn’t.
The city of Birmingham, England, is hosting the 2027 Invictus Games
The Invictus Games are returning to where they started—the U.K. In 2027, 13 years after the first competition for wounded and injured veterans took place in London, England, the city of Birmingham, England, is hosting.
The Invictus Games Foundation unveiled the games’ location in a July 22, 2024, statement on their official website after Birmingham beat out Washington, D.C., as host.
The Duke of Sussex commented on Birmingham’s selection. “Your city’s strong ties to the armed forces community made it a formidable contender from the very start,” he said.
Previous competitions were held in Florida (2016), Canada (2017), Australia (2018), the Netherlands (2022), and Germany (2023). Before they head to Birmingham, the Invictus Games will return to Canada for the new addition of winter sports in February 2025.
The 2027 Invictus Games location is a ‘trap’ for King Charles and the royal family
Hosting the games in England presents a tricky situation for King Charles and the royal family. According to Edward Coram James, a PR expert and chief executive of the media agency Go Up, it’s a “trap.”
“In some ways, it’s a bit of a booby trap for them,” he told Newsweek. “I’m sure it hasn’t been laid as a booby trap. But whether it’s been laid that way or not, it’s a bit of a booby trap because it forces their hand.”
“If they don’t go, it looks like they’re weighing petty considerations over wounded veterans,” he explained. “So they have to go. Reputationally, they can’t not go.”
Going to the 2027 Invictus Games “forces considerations like, well, do they then get seen together? And if they’re not, again, it probably looks a bit petty from an optics point of view.”
The games’ return to England could lead to a reconciliation between Harry and his father
The 2027 games may prompt a big moment in Harry’s relationship with his father and the rest of the royal family. According to the expert, it could usher in a reconciliation. Or at least a conversation, which is more than what’s happening now. (Harry and Prince William haven’t reportedly spoken in years.)
“It could force the royals to get in the room and work through their differences,” he said. “If you want to force a group of people to sit down in a room and have a talk, this is a very good way to do that.”
Previously, events have been suggested as possible settings for a reunion. The king’s coronation in May 2023, which Harry attended solo, was one. So was his visit to London, England, a year later for the anniversary of the Invictus Games. Both, however, proved unsuccessful. No talks reportedly took place during coronation weekend, and Harry didn’t see his father in May 2024.
