The Duke of Sussex’s first public engagements since his return to the UK have been announced, with Prince Harry set to lead a run of charity events this month.
Harry will attend the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards and the launch of the Invictus education programme INSPIRE, as well as taking part in one of his favourite annual occasions, the WellChild Awards. The confirmation is likely to be interpreted as Harry kick-starting his plans for his new life back in Britain, following what has been seen as growing tensions between the Sussex camp and the Royal Household.
Private citizens classification
Harry and Meghan were said to be “surprised” by the formal letter sent by the Lord Chamberlain under the direction of the King to senior stakeholders in the Government and military, which classified them as “private citizens”. The Duke and Duchess, who are waiting to hear whether they will be given taxpayer-funded security, are reported to prefer the term “public figures” instead.
Full details of Harry’s appearances, including the dates, have yet to be published. The events were described by his team as his “September public engagements”.
Invictus Spirit Awards and INSPIRE
His appearances will include the first-ever Invictus Spirit Awards, which will celebrate individuals, organizations, and communities who “embody the resilience, service, and unconquered spirit at the heart of the international Invictus Movement”. At the launch of the INSPIRE programme, Harry will play pickleball with school pupils and participate in an assembly.
Designed by teachers for learners from early years through to Key Stage 5, the programme uses the Invictus Games and the stories of its competitors to create national curriculum-aligned resources in maths, English, Stem, art, performing arts, sport and PSHE (personal, social, health and economic) education.
WellChild Awards and family focus
Harry has been patron of WellChild – the national charity for seriously ill children and their families – since 2007 and regularly attends the awards ceremony. The engagement is described as “continuing his long association with WellChild as the charity’s patron”, with the awards, which he has attended 15 times, being a “significant part of his annual programme”. He will meet this year’s winners and their families, carers and health professionals to hear about their experiences supporting children with serious and complex health needs.
The Sussexes are said to be “happy to be back” in the UK, and getting Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet settled at school “remains their focus”. A source close to Harry and Meghan told the US magazine People: “Everything else will fall into place when the time is right”.
They added: “There is a lot to do. They have just moved halfway across the world and it’s been really busy getting the kids settled. Their focus has been on that, and will remain on that, for the time being. They are happy to be back.”
Invictus Games fallout and public opinion
A source close to the Sussexes blamed the Lord Chamberlain’s letter for Uganda’s decision to pull out of the Duke’s 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham. Team Sussex, who were given around an hour’s notice of the release of the letter on Monday, did not have time to clarify any of the points. Uganda’s military chief General Muhoozi Kainerugaba said the country had withdrawn from the sporting competition because of “that Harry-Meghan nonsense”, and that it would “not participate in anything” that does not have the King’s “approval”.
A Sussex source told ITV News: “Intended or unintended, this is clearly a consequence of the Lord Chamberlain’s guidance regarding the Duke and Duchess of Sussex that was rushed out without consultation on Monday. Sadly, the only people who will suffer are the Invictus Games competitors.”
A new YouGov poll meanwhile found that just 16 percent of Britons would like the Sussexes to return to being working members of the royal family, while 51 percent would rather they did not. Some 33 percent do not know either way.
Wales visit and background
Harry’s engagements were announced on Thursday evening – the same day the Prince and Princess of Wales carried out a key visit to Liverpool, where William was launching a suicide prevention toolkit for the sports sector. Kate made a surprise appearance at Everton Football Club at William’s side, to show support for the major On Your Side campaign.
Harry and Meghan stepped away from the working monarchy six years ago in search of personal and financial freedom in the US. Two weeks ago, they moved back, having enrolled their children Archie and Lili in British schools, with Meghan rumoured to be returning to acting again.
In January 2020, the Duke and Duchess had announced they intended to step back as “senior” members of the royal family, become financially independent, still support Queen Elizabeth II, but split their time between the UK and North America. But the late Queen ruled at the Sandringham Summit, which was convened to resolve the Megxit crisis, that the couple could not be half in and half out – with the King recently asserting the agreement still stands.
