Dozens of former service members have gathered with signs and banners, demanding that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle be removed from their roles affiliated with the event. As many of you know, Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games back in 2014. It's an international sporting event for wounded, injured, and sick service personnel and veterans. This year's games are currently underway here in The Hague. However, some veterans are far from happy about the presence of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who have been involved with the games for several years now.
Let me introduce you to Andrew Snow, an army veteran from England who served three tours in Afghanistan. Andrew, thanks for speaking with me today. Can you explain what this protest is about and why you feel so strongly about this issue?
No problem, thanks for covering our demonstration. Simply put, we feel Prince Harry and Meghan have hijacked the Invictus Games for their own publicity and agenda. This was meant to be about wounded veterans coming together in sport, not plastering their faces all over it. Ever since Meghan came along, it's all been about them and using it as a platform. The games are no longer putting veterans first, in my opinion.
We also take huge issue with some of the political statements they've made, especially around things like the pandemic and the environment. The royal family is meant to stay out of politics for a reason, not to mention all the hypocrisy with their private jet flights and mega mansions. They just don't represent us or our values anymore. In my view, the Invictus Games would be better off without their interference.
Thanks for sharing your perspective, Andrew. It does seem the main grievances revolve around Harry and Meghan allegedly overshadowing the event and straying too far into political matters. For those skeptical of these claims, though, what would you say to reassure them that this isn't just about other personal issues with the Sussexes?
That's a fair question. Look, whether people like Harry and Meghan personally is besides the point, really. This is about keeping the focus of Invictus where it belongs: on helping veterans through sport. We all owe Harry a debt of gratitude for creating these games in the first place, but things have changed drastically in recent years in terms of how much attention they command. If you look at the website, social media, and promotions, it's 90% about them rather than our members and their stories.
Their brand deals and productions often seem to take precedence too. As a charity, Invictus should be veteran-focused first and foremost, in our view. We just want to see it go back to basics. That's truly what this is about, rather than any petty personal grudges.
I can understand that perspective. For those at the Invictus Games themselves, though, defending Harry and Meghan's ongoing role, what would you say to address their counterarguments?
Of course, the organizers will defend the status quo, that's only natural. But with all due respect, they are biased, as ultimately Harry is their meal ticket. Their claim that Harry and Meghan greatly increase awareness and funding just doesn't add up for us. Invictus was doing just fine for years without all the fanfare and publicity stunts.
