William ‘unlikely’ to attend Harry’s Invictus Games if UK wins bid to host

The Duke of Sussex’s bid to bring Invictus Games back to the UK will put the royal family in a “difficult spot”, a royal expert has said.

The Duke of Sussex’s bid to bring Invictus Games back to the UK will put the royal family in a “difficult spot”, a royal expert has said.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said Prince Harry’s brother William – who previously made private generous donations to support the event when it was hosted in the UK in 2014 – would “unlikely” attend if it were hosted in Britain in 2027.

At its inception, the Invictus Games for wounded and sick servicemen had the support of senior royals including The King and Queen Camilla who attended the opening ceremony at the London Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

“There is no sign of a thaw between the princes Harry and William – when Prince Harry reached out in private to his brother after learning of Kate’s cancer, his offer of support was not warmly received,” said Mr Fitzwilliams.

“It is unlikely William would attend the Invictus Games if the Government’s bid to stage it in the UK is successful and it would need the backing of senior royals. Harry had this back in 2014 when he was a working royal but that may no longer be the case.”

Back when everyone got along, or at least pretended to: Prince William, King Charles and Prince Harry at the Invictus Games on September 11, 2014 in London, England. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

“Then there is of course the issue of security in the UK for Harry and where he would stay if Invictus were hosted in Britain. His old marital home of Frogmore Cottage in Windsor is no available to him when he comes to England, unless she puts in a request for consideration months in advance and even then he may not get access,” he said.

“The whole thing puts the royal family in a very difficult spot.”

The British Government lodged a £26 million ($50 million AUD) bid to host the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham through the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, with the final decision over the host city to be made by the Invictus Games Foundation.

The UK will need to win a bid against Washington DC to host the games.

“The Office for Veterans’ Affairs is proudly backing a bid to bring the Invictus Games to Britain in 2027,” Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Johnny Mercer, said last week.

“The announcement of £26m puts the UK another step closer to being the global leader in veterans’ recovery, and demonstrates this government’s commitment to our ex-servicemen and women who sacrificed so much for us all in the line of duty,” he added.

There is still tension between the two brothers. Picture: Gareth Fuller - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Plans are underway for the Duke to return to Britain in May for a service at St Paul’s Cathedral marking the 10th anniversary of the games but he is likely to travel alone and unlikely to meet with his brother or sister in law Catherine who is undergoing treatment for cancer.

Invictus has grown into a successful worldwide event soliciting 22 countries and more than 500 athletes.

At last year’s Games in Düsseldorf, Germany, a 59-strong Team UK won 69 medals but the royal family has not commented publicly on the event for several years.

The Duke recently lost a legal fight with the Home Office over the removal of his state-funded police protection. He has announced his plan to appeal but in the meantime must use his own private protection team.

A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said the city was one of two short-listed to host the 2027 games.

“The outstanding work of staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the strong links with the armed forces and their families would make Birmingham the ideal host city for the 2027 Invictus Games,” a spokesperson added.