Veterans participating in the Invictus games have expressed frustration, citing Harry's strained relationship with the royal family as a reason why some petty and mean-spirited royals have not shown support for the event. The 2023 games are currently underway in Dusseldorf, Germany, with Prince Harry and Meghan attending to cheer on the competitors. However, no senior members of the royal family have been seen 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. Athletes and veterans participating in the event, which is dedicated to injured servicemen and women, have expressed disappointment at the lack of acknowledgment.
An anonymous UK media strategist noted the irony in how Buckingham Palace has paid more attention to events like the Highland Games than the Invictus games, despite the royals holding honorary military roles. The strategist also criticized the palace for coming across as mean-spirited and petty, emphasizing that any disagreements with Harry should not affect the Invictus competitors.
Earlier this month, Prince Charles and Camilla attended the annual Braemar Highland Games, a long-standing fixture in the royal calendar. Additionally, the Prince and Princess of Wales supported England and Wales, respectively, at the Rugby World Cup in France. However, palace sources have stated that royals typically do not involve themselves in each other's professional projects. For instance, it would not be expected for Harry to voice support for his brother's Earthshot Prize.
Furthermore, Harry and Meghan's popularity, or lack thereof, has been a factor in the limited attention given to the Invictus games. While a rugby podcast featuring Prince William and Kate garnered over a million views in 24 hours, an international veteran competition featuring a so-called celebrity royal received only 50k views. The games have not received significant press coverage, and The Daily Beast has even reported that Prince William and Catherine deliberately diverted attention away from the Invictus games. The couple did so by appearing on a podcast that coincided with Harry's launch of the event, successfully drawing the spotlight away from his efforts.
William and Catherine's well-timed podcast appearance generated headlines, with their engaging conversation making waves on YouTube. The podcast's success overshadowed Harry's Invictus games launch and showcased the PR prowess of Prince William and Catherine's team.
