Prince Harry will be hosting the Invictus Games for the first time in 10 years, and several royal experts believe Meghan Markle will put on a brave face and join him across the pond.
People magazine reported that the Duke of Sussex’s Paralympic-style sports tournament will take place in Birmingham, England, in July 2027. The city was chosen over Washington, D.C. The upcoming Invictus Games, scheduled for February 2025, will take place in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada.
If the Duchess of Sussex joins the prince, it will mark her first time in the U.K. since Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022.
It’s unclear whether Meghan Markle will head to the U.K. in 2027 for the Invictus Games. (Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images)
“There’s zero chance of Meghan missing the Invictus Games,” Christopher Andersen, author of “The King,” told Fox News Digital. “I guess that she will be there, briefly, but without [their children] Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Meghan and Harry’s security concerns are legitimate, but the rest of the royal family doesn’t see it that way. Neither do the British courts.”
“The feeling in the U.K. is that the Sussexes are no longer working royals, and therefore are not entitled to state-funded police protection,” Andersen pointed out. “Harry has one more legal appeal left, but that’s a long shot.”
While many royal watchers are hoping a possible appearance by the duchess could spark peace talks with both families, royal expert Hilary Fordwich claims that won’t happen anytime soon.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, leave after paying their respects at Westminster Hall. Queen Elizabeth II, England’s longest-reigning monarch, died in 2022. (EMILIO MORENATTI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“Prince William summarized extremely well how he feels about Meghan Markle, as documented by Harry, before getting into a physical fight at Kensington Palace in 2019, according to his memoir ‘Spare,’” Fordwich told Fox News Digital.
“Harry wrote that William called Meghan ‘difficult,’ ‘rude’ and ‘abrasive,’ all traits not appreciated by the British,” said Fordwich. “The royals have had zero reason to change their feelings regarding Meghan Markle.”
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Harry has had a strained relationship with his family and has seen his father, King Charles III, infrequently since he and his wife quit royal duties in 2020 and moved to California. At the time, the couple said it was the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British press that prompted them to step back as senior royals.
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Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare” was published in January 2023. (JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
The British prince has since detailed his rocky relationship with his family in TV interviews, a documentary and his memoir.
“It may mean that the Games is overshadowed by the royal rift as other royals almost certainly won’t attend,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. “… there may be more harmony by 2027, but I wouldn’t bet on it!”
When Prince Harry launched the Invictus Games, he received support from his father, the former Prince Charles, and his older brother, Prince William. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
“… For a long time, Meghan has been extremely unpopular in Britain,” said Fitzwilliams. “Also, much may be determined by the security issue, with Harry being granted [the chance] to appeal against the decision to withdraw the automatic police protection he and his family once had when they were senior working royals.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex aired their grievances in their Netflix docuseries, “Harry & Meghan,” which premiered in December 2022. (Jonathan Brady/PA Images via Getty Images)
“… If he wins, they may both come,” Fitzwilliams continued. “However, their unpopularity has soared in Britain because of the way they monetized their royal status and the brutality of their attacks on the royal family. Given their abysmal poll ratings, Meghan may keep away.”
“The royals have had zero reason to change their feelings regarding Meghan Markle.”
Harry’s legal battle over his security in the U.K. started more than four years ago. The 39-year-old claimed he and his family were endangered when visiting his home country because of hostility towards him and his wife, 42. Harry pointed out that the couple had been faced with ruthless hounding by the U.K. news media.
In response, a government lawyer said Harry had been treated fairly and was still provided protection on some of his visits. The lawyer cited a security detail that guarded the prince in June 2021, when he was chased by photographers after attending an event with seriously ill children in west London.
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Prince Harry has been fighting for his family’s right to protection when they’re on U.K. soil. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
In February, High Court Judge Peter Lane ruled that the panel’s decision, which provides for “bespoke” security on an as-needed basis, was not unlawful, irrational, or unjustified.
The panel decision was made by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee. The group is made up of members of the royal family staff, the Metropolitan Police, and several government offices.
Andersen pointed out that the royal family could solve this matter, by allowing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to travel to the U.K. with ease – if they wanted to.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, embrace a competitor at the Invictus Games, April 17, 2022, in The Hague, Netherlands. (Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images)
“Since we are talking about a single event and not necessarily a wholesale policy change, it’s obvious that accommodations could be made,” Andersen argued. “The king could solve this problem with a wave of his hand and order that Harry and his family be provided royal protection or, barring that, simply pay for it himself.
“The world’s wealthiest and most powerful family certainly can afford to foot the security for Harry, Meghan and their children when they’re in town. But that’s not the point at this stage in the Internecine War of the Windsors.”
Meghan Markle, an American actress, became the Duchess of Sussex when she married the British prince in 2018. (Ben STANSALL – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“Let’s hope that by 2027, when Birmingham hosts Invictus, they will all have kissed and made up,” Andersen continued. “If both sides are still hunkering down in their respective trenches, then there is no possibility that the King, Prince William, Kate Middleton, or any of the royals will attend the Invictus Games – even though they’re being held right on the royal family’s doorstep.”
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Prince Harry launched the Invictus Games in 2014. (Bernard Weil/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
In May, Harry arrived in London solo to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. A spokesperson confirmed that he didn’t see his father, 75, during the visit.
Charles, who had returned to official duties after being sidelined for three months with cancer, was too busy to meet up with his son, a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex said.
King Charles III has been battling an undisclosed form of cancer. (Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images)
“The duke of course is understanding of his father’s … commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon,” a statement said.
Harry previously rushed to London in February for a very brief visit after his father was diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer.
Shortly after his last quick trip to London, Harry told “Good Morning America” that he thought his father’s illness could help bring his family closer.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are seen during the Invictus Games on September 12, 2023, in Düsseldorf, Germany. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital it’s not too late for the American actress to win over the U.K. public – and her in-laws.
“If Meghan hopes to mend her damaged reputation here in the U.K., she should travel to the U.K. and support her husband at the Invictus Games 2027,” said Chard. “There is more than enough time to ensure a comprehensive robust security plan for the whole family. The royal family will also want them to be completely safe.”
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attend the ESPY Awards at Dolby Theatre on July 11, 2024, in Hollywood, California. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for W+P)
“However, Meghan’s busy life is in the U.S. – this is the life she knows and loves,” Chard pointed out. “She has no attachment to the U.K.. She has moved on from her short time in the U.K. She has also made it very clear that… she feels people in the U.K. don’t like her. She would never choose to visit the U.K. unless there was some gain.”
Oprah Winfrey interviewed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for a special in 2021 where they revealed their struggles with royal life. (Harpo Productions/Joe Pugliese via Getty Images)
“But, coming to the U.K. would work in her and her family’s favor,” Chard continued. “It will be a chance for the whole family to reconnect, show unity and spotlight the Invictus Games. If handled correctly, she and her family will be seen in a positive light. This, in turn, will generate her brand sales.
“Meghan hasn’t visited the U.K. since 2022. She has the excuse for the ongoing security debacle. However, a comprehensive security plan would always be provided for the whole family. Meghan’s security fears are debatable, but she certainly fears being heckled in the U.K.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reside in the wealthy coastal city of Montecito. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Modeled after the Warrior Games in the United States, Harry founded the Invictus Games in 2014 as a Paralympic-style event designed to inspire military veterans around the world as they work to overcome battlefield injuries. Harry was a former captain in the British Army.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.