Firstly, on the surface, this is exactly the kind of thing the King could get involved in – he is the Head of the Armed Forces, after all. And as the competition, which Harry founded in 2014, is for ex-service personnel, it would make sense for someone like the monarch to play a role.
However, for the King to appear publicly side by side with Harry, who has been less than complimentary of the Royal Family since he quit six years ago, will still be problematic.
Firstly, the British public is not Harry’s biggest fan, which means that for the monarch to appear in public with him may not be well received.
Secondly, the King’s relationship with his eldest son and heir Prince William is a vital one to maintain, both for personal and professional reasons.
Given that William is estranged from his brother and has shown no signs of wishing to reconcile, for the King to appear by Harry’s side at such a public event could rock the relationship he has with William. And that will be one of the last things he wants.
By inviting the King to open The Invictus Games in 2027, Harry has simply tried to unite him and his father on the public stage. But by doing so, he has put the monarch between a rock and a hard place. There is no right thing the King can do in this situation.
If he declines the invite, he may annoy the military community and Harry, too, who could then go ahead and criticise the Royal Family yet again.
But if he accepts, what will this mean for his relationship with William? One of the most important relationships in his life?
Let’s just say, I don’t think the King will be able to win regardless of what decision he makes. It’s a situation that he probably wishes Harry had never put him in.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
