King Charles has been issued a blunt five-word warning regarding his relationship with Prince Harry, following reports that the Duke of Sussex is preparing to invite his father to attend the 2027 Invictus Games as part of a reconciliation effort.
The King was reunited with his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire earlier this summer. It marked his first encounter with them in four years, with many observers seeing it as a promising step towards healing the fractured relationship between father and son.
Harry's olive branch
Harry is now hoping to build on this progress by extending an "olive branch" to his father through an invitation to next year's Invictus Games. According to the Daily Mail, journalist and royal commentator Amanda Platell has branded the gesture a "squalid ploy" and cautioned Charles that "we may never forgive you". She described accepting the invitation as a "grave mistake" and a choice that his "loyal subjects may never forgive".
Ms Platell, who served as press secretary to Conservative Party leader William Hague from 1999 to 2001, characterises Harry's potential invitation to the Birmingham event as a "cynical ploy" rather than a "genuine appeal" for reconciliation, reports the Express.
Criticism of the invitation
She suggests that the King's attendance at the Invictus Games would boost the event's profile and, consequently, increase earnings for the Sussexes. The argument is that photographs of the King with his formerly estranged son would spread rapidly across social media and help publicise the event.
Prince Harry travelled to the UK in early July to champion the upcoming Invictus Games. He spearheaded official "One Year to Go" countdown events for the tournament, which Birmingham will host next year. Throughout the visit, the Duke of Sussex was accompanied by his wife, Meghan Markle, and their children for a private audience with King Charles and Queen Camilla. It marked the first occasion the monarch and queen were understood to have encountered Meghan and their grandchildren since 2022.
Strained relations
Nevertheless, Ms Platell has branded Harry as "deluded" if he believes the fleeting encounter suggests he's "back in his dad's good books". She has called on the King to reject the Invictus Games invitation, arguing it will solely serve Harry's interests.
The deterioration of relations between the King and his son stems from public accusations and disputes over UK security arrangements. The prince openly attacked his father during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 before taking aim at Camilla in his memoir, Spare, two years later.
Following his decision to step back as a working royal, Harry forfeited his automatic entitlement to taxpayer-funded police protection. He has subsequently voiced anger and resentment about the withdrawal, insisting the decision endangers his family's safety.
