Prince Harry stepped out solo for his first official engagement since returning to the United Kingdom last month.
The Duke of Sussex, 41, attended the Invictus Spirit Gala Dinner & Awards at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London on Thursday without Meghan Markle, 45, by his side. He wore a black tuxedo and bow tie, his military medals pinned to his chest and the Royal Victorian Order medal around his neck.
Harry appeared in good spirits as he took selfies with fellow attendees, photos from the event showed. He also arrived alongside two former Invictus competitors, according to video footage obtained by Hello magazine.
The outing marks Harry’s first official appearance since the family of four touched down in England on Aug. 26. The couple relocated with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, six years after they stepped back from royal duties and moved to Montecito, California.
The Sussexes’ return has been rocky from the start. About a week after their arrival, King Charles III issued a statement clarifying that Harry and Markle are “private citizens with commercial and charitable interests” rather than working royals. The couple took issue with that label, reports said, considering themselves “public figures.”
The monarch’s announcement had immediate ripple effects. Uganda withdrew from the Invictus Games in what was described as “support” of the King, a move Harry allegedly blamed on his father’s statement. Charles ultimately stepped in, with his top adviser placing a phone call to “encourage” Uganda to “proceed with preparations for [their] participation in the games.”
The family has faced practical setbacks as well. Harry and Markle pulled their children out of school just two days into the semester due to security concerns tied to heavy traffic near the $35,000-a-year prep school they had selected. The situation worsened when Markle’s personal cellphone number was leaked in a WhatsApp chat for school parents.
“None of these logistical problems are a surprise,” royal expert Kinsey Schofield exclusively said on Monday. “When I was speaking to people locally about the original school, one of the first things I was warned about was the horrific traffic.”
While Charles has spoken to Harry, the same cannot be said for Prince William and Kate Middleton. The Prince and Princess of Wales allegedly plan to ignore the Sussexes entirely. On Tuesday, Schofield exclusively said that William has “washed his hands” of his estranged brother following Harry and Markle’s damning remarks about the royal family.
Harry’s solo appearance at the Invictus event underscores the divide, with Markle absent from what would typically be a shared platform for the couple’s charitable work. The Invictus Games, founded by Harry in 2014, remain closely tied to his public identity even as his royal standing has shifted.
The Duke’s return to the UK was motivated in part by a desire to be closer to his cancer-stricken father, though the relationship has shown strain. The family’s full reintegration into British life faces obstacles on multiple fronts, from security arrangements to school logistics to the unresolved frostiness with senior royals.
Harry is expected to continue his involvement with the Invictus Games as the organization prepares for future events.