The Royal Family could be put in a ‘difficult position’ if Prince Harry’s Invictus Games returns to the UK for the first time since he and Meghan moved to the US.
A question that would need to be answered is whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, move into their old grace-and-favour home Frogmore Cottage for the duration of the games. Senior royals would also need to take a stand on if they support the event, which they did at the first games in 2014 when then-Prince Charles, Camilla, and Prince William appeared alongside Harry for the opening ceremony, The Telegraph reports.
But at the time, he was a full-time working royal – and any tensions and spats were not aired in public, as they are so often these days. Since 2014, the Invictus Games have become a popular global sports competition which 22 countries and more than 500 athletes have been involved with.
The Royal Family has not made a public statement on the Invictus Games for several years, despite its growing importance globally. The yearly sports event is one of the most public engagements for the Sussexes, but it returning the UK could prove a challenge for them.
It is an incredibly important piece of work for Prince Harry and one of his last remaining legacies from when he was a full-time working Royal – and one which he feels very proud of. The games also allow him to reconnect with fellow military veterans. But last month Harry lost a High Court challenge against the Home Office over a decision to downgrade his taxpayer-funded personal security when he visits Britain.
The Duke of Sussex took legal action over the move by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) after being told he would no longer be given the ‘same degree’ of publicly funded protection when in the UK. His lawyers had claimed he was ‘singled out’ and treated ‘less favourably’ in the February 2020 decision by the body, which falls under the Home Office’s remit.
But at a hearing in London in December, the Government insisted Harry’s claim should be dismissed, arguing Ravec was entitled to conclude the duke’s protection should be ‘bespoke’ and considered on a ‘case-by-case’ basis. Two months later, retired High Court judge Sir Peter Lane ruled: ‘The application for judicial review is refused.’ While Harry plans to appeal, this means that he will not be expect a high level of security and must use his own private protection.
