As reported by The Mirror, some veterans participating in the Invictus Games expressed frustration, citing Harry's strained relationship with the royal family as a reason why certain members of the family hadn't shown support for the event.
The 2023 games were taking place in Dusseldorf, Germany, with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in attendance to support the competitors. However, no senior members of the royal family had been spotted at the event or publicly voiced their support.
In contrast, during the inaugural games in London in 2014, King Charles, Queen Camilla, and Prince William all attended the opening ceremony. Additionally, the late Queen appeared in a memorable video alongside Prince Harry to promote the 2016 event in Orlando, Florida. Since the rift between Harry, Meghan, and the rest of the royal family became public, no senior royals have attended any Invictus events, despite their close ties with the military.
This lack of acknowledgment disappointed athletes and veterans participating in the event, which is dedicated to injured servicemen and women. Notably, there were more empty seats at the Invictus Games than in previous years, with many tickets going unsold. Meghan, acting as Harry's spokesperson, attributed this to the Royal Family's actions.
The audience seemed to mainly consist of family and friends of the veterans, with a lack of interest from the general public. The Invictus Games, initially created by the palace as a platform for Harry's charitable work, now appeared to have been overshadowed by Meghan. The decline in ticket sales was attributed to Meghan's involvement, with some expressing reluctance to listen to her speeches.
An anonymous UK media strategist noted the irony in Buckingham Palace paying more attention to events like the Highland Games than the Invictus Games, despite the royal family's honorary military roles. The strategist criticized the palace for coming across as mean-spirited and petty, emphasizing that the dispute with Harry should not affect the Invictus competitors.
While Prince Charles and Camilla attended the annual Bremer Island games and the Princes of Wales supported England and Wales at the Rugby World Cup in France, palace sources clarified that Royals typically do not engage in each other's professional projects. For instance, it wouldn't be expected for Harry to show support for his brother's Earthshot prize.
Harry and Meghan's popularity, or the lack thereof, played a role in the limited attention given to the Invictus Games. In contrast, a podcast featuring Prince William and Kate garnered over a million views in 24 hours, effectively diverting attention from Harry's event. This well-timed podcast appearance overshadowed Harry's Invictus Games launch and underscored Prince William and Catherine's effective public relations efforts.
