At some stage in our lives we have all met an upstager so insecure they overshadow others and steal their thunder for a few seconds of attention. Well, if you do not know one, you do now.
A Deliberate Distraction?
Last Saturday morning at 10:45 am, the Royal Family including King Charles left Buckingham Palace in carriages to head down The Mall for Horse Guards Parade and the annual Trooping The Colour. This historic event, performed by regiments of the Household Division, celebrates the sovereign's official birthday.
Aside from the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales with their children, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and the Princess Royal with her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, were all in attendance.
The Invictus Message
But at 11:11 am, social media sparked into overdrive as a pre-recorded message from 41-year-old Prince Harry to the Invictus Germany Sports Festival 2026 appeared on a giant screen. Coincidence? I do not believe in them.
It was a pre-recorded message, and perhaps Harry did not know exactly when they would broadcast it on the big screen. But Saturday was the opening day, and the initial ceremony ended around 11 am in Germany (10 am UK time). Once the crowd was in and ready to watch the film, it was bound to start spreading across social media within the hour, which it did.
In the message, Harry told those attending the festival: "Thank you for your service… have a fantastic time in Düsseldorf. Lean on those when you need to and celebrate everything you have achieved, and most importantly, have fun."
The Duke of Sussex founded the Games in 2014, with the first one taking place in London. The Games in Birmingham will take place between July 10 and 17, 2027. It remains unknown if Meghan and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, will travel to the UK with him.
Harry's Absence
Harry, who stepped down as a senior working royal in 2020 during what became known as Megxit, has not appeared at Trooping the Colour since 2019. But while millions were watching the event around the world on TV, at the same time Harry's video was also winging around YouTube and social media channels.
The timing is suspect, and you feel there must have been a part of him thinking, 'If I cannot be at Trooping the Colour, then I will share the moment of Trooping the Colour.' It is a shame if that is the case, and a disappointment that Harry felt the need to overshadow the rest of his family back in the UK.
He was not frozen out; he was not kicked out, nor was he marched out of the UK and the Royal Family. He quit. He walked out and slammed the door. But Harry would have loved to have been at Trooping the Colour. He relished the event and the camaraderie of his fellow Armed Forces heroes.
That is why he launched the Invictus Games – to share, support, and give back to those with whom he feels a brotherhood – and he is to be commended for that. It is the greatest thing he has done, or probably will ever do. In contrast, this was not.
