King Charles III personally stepped in to reverse Uganda’s abrupt withdrawal from Prince Harry’s 2027 Invictus Games.
Chris Magezi, spokesperson for the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, revealed Monday that the 77-year-old monarch’s top adviser had phoned Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces to clear the air. The call came after Kampala announced last week that it would boycott the Birmingham, UK, charity event “in order not to be construed as being opposed to” the King. Magezi wrote on X that the palace adviser “encouraged the CDF to proceed with preparations for UPDF’s participation in the games.”
“The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has approved UPDF participation in the upcoming Invictus Games next year in Birmingham, United Kingdom,” Magezi wrote Monday. “Kainerugaba appreciated the King’s message and clarity provided by Buckingham Palace on the subject, promising that the UPDF would resume preparations to participate in the upcoming games.”
The about-face caps a turbulent stretch for Harry, 41, who launched the biennial multi-sport competition for wounded, injured and sick service members in 2014. The Duke of Sussex had reportedly blamed his father’s recent statement about his royal status for Uganda’s exit, with a source saying News, “Sadly, the only people who will suffer are the Invictus Games competitors.”
Kainerugaba, a hardline loyalist to the monarchy, had originally declared, “We shall not participate in anything that does not have His Majesty’s approval.” He also said UK, “I have factions in the Ministry of Defense that support that Harry-Meghan [Markle] nonsense. I had to quash it straight away. I support the monarch. Period.”
The “nonsense” remark landed as Harry and Meghan Markle, 45, relocated to the United Kingdom with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5. The family’s move from Montecito, California, has sharpened scrutiny of their relationship with the palace.
Charles issued a statement more than one week after the Sussexes arrived, clarifying that they remain “private citizens with commercial and charitable interests” rather than working royals. He wrote, “It is well known that in January 2020 the Duke and Duchess stepped down from undertaking representative duties on behalf of the Sovereign, and are no longer working Members of the Royal Family.”
Harry and Markle have disputed the label, with People reporting that they consider themselves “public figures.”
The palace’s intervention marks a rare moment of direct coordination between Charles’s circle and Harry’s signature charitable project. The Invictus Games have long served as the Duke’s most visible legacy from his decade of British military service.
Thursday’s Invictus Spirit Awards will mark Harry’s first official engagement since the family’s transatlantic move, followed by the WellChild Awards later this month.
Kainerugaba’s reversal underscores how entangled the Games have become in the wider royal rift. The general’s initial boycott threat framed participation as a loyalty test to the Crown itself, forcing Buckingham Palace to actively untangle the event from family politics.
The 2027 Invictus Games are scheduled to take place in Birmingham.