What Prince Harry’s Done to the Royal Family Will Be Painfully Obvious at the Invictus Anniversary Service—Expert
Prince Harry’s U.K. trip for the Invictus Games anniversary is here. He’s already touched down in London, England, ahead of a special service on May 8, 2024. There won’t be the Duke of Sussex’s wife, Meghan Markle, or any other British royals along to mark the occasion. This, an expert says, will be a “telling” reflection of what he’s “done.”
Having no family at the Invictus Games anniversary service is a ‘graphic illustration’ of what Harry’s ‘done’
On May 8, 2024, Harry’s heading to St. Paul’s Cathedral, the same place where his parents, King Charles III and Princess Diana, married in 1981. There he’ll take part in a service of thanksgiving all about the Invictus Games.
While he’s already in London attending anniversary events, Harry won’t have any family on hand at the church service, which, per royal expert Jennie Bond, is “telling.”
“He’s here to celebrate the Invictus Game, and rightly so, it is a great achievement,” the former BBC commentator said (via Express). “But how telling it will be to see him there without a single member of the royal family present to salute his achievement.”
“It will be a graphic illustration of what he has done to the family he still professes to love,” she continued, saying “part of him” likely has “regrets” about how things have played out between him and the rest of the royal family.
“There must be a part of him now that profoundly regrets the rift he and Meghan have caused,” she said. “He has no one else to blame.”
Following the Invictus Games anniversary service, Harry will be reunited with his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, when they make a joint trip to Nigeria.
King Charles doesn’t want the royal family ‘institution’ to back Harry’s Invictus Games by attending the service
It seems King Charles is prepared to be “friendly and supportive” to his youngest son, but only on a personal level. That reason, a former courtier told The Daily Beast, is part of the reason why no senior royals are going to the Invictus Games anniversary service.
“Charles has made it quite clear he is ready to be friendly and supportive to Harry in his capacity as a private person, as his dad,” the insider said. “But he is not going to throw the weight of the institution behind Invictus again.”
“This all seems very logical inside the Palace bubble,” they continued. “But the trouble is that people who don’t particularly care about such things, who are dimly aware that the royals spend their days visiting community centres [sic] and opening supermarkets, are going to wonder why they are boycotting this terrific charity that is headed by the king’s son.”
“Many of us think this is a classic example of the royals cutting off their nose to spite their face. Because Invictus is clearly exactly the kind of organisation [sic] the royal family should be supporting.”
The family, they concluded, is missing an opportunity to “bridge” the divide. “If a bridge is ever going to be built, Invictus is the bridgehead to build it from. And they should get on and do it.”
Harry is not meeting with King Charles during his Invictus anniversary visit
A father and son reunion isn’t happening for Harry and King Charles. A spokesperson for the 39-year-old confirmed as much following weeks of speculation about a potential get-together.
As some reports have claimed it seems King Charles will be too busy to meet Harry while he’s in town. “It unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full program,” the spokesperson said (via BBC).
The king returned to public duties on April 29, 2024, after approximately 11 weeks due to cancer treatment. He has a weekly meeting with Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and a Buckingham Palace garden party scheduled.
Harry, the spokesperson added, is “understanding” of his father’s busy schedule. “The Duke, of course, is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities.” Harry, they added, “hopes to see him soon.”
The last time Harry saw his King Charles was in February 2024. Harry flew to England to see his father after the monarch had been diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer. Reports at the time clocked the visit at under 45 minutes.
Despite previously hinting at more visits, Harry hasn’t announced any other 2024 U.K. trips at the time of writing. Meaning, there’s no telling when he’ll see King Charles next.
