Reports suggest that friends and allies of King Charles and Prince William have been caught off guard by Prince Harry’s latest media campaign: an astonishing attempt to get the King to open Harry’s Invictus Games event in the United Kingdom next year via The Daily Beast.
The story was first leaked to British tabloid The Sun, framed as a “MAJOR olive branch” opportunity for Charles. The Royalist has confirmed it to be essentially true with sources in Harry’s camp.
It is a long way from a done deal; there is a very real possibility that Charles might actually be considering the invitation, as per The Royalist.
The story is an intriguing illustration of the larger patterns and conflicts within the family that are destabilizing the monarchy at the moment: The gulf between the King and his heir on a key matter of policy as well as the King’s failure to communicate clearly to his public where he stands on the matter.
“Prince Harry desperately wants Charles at Invictus—and he wants him to open the Games alongside him,” the source told The Sun. “Harry wants it to happen both for the Games, and for their relationship. It’s his dream to have his father by his side.”
“The Games represent a cause close to both’s hearts,” they continued.
“The Games are a perfect opportunity for them to work alongside each other… The sight of them on stage when it opens would be heart-warming and in the spirit of the occasion.”
Some on the King’s side have reacted sharply, viewing the story as an effort to pressure Charles into attending the Games and to legitimize Harry. However, the situation is complex, as the King has notably been indulgent toward his younger son, despite his heir’s explicit objections.
