According to insider reports, Prince Harry’s attempts to mend the relationship he shares with his father King Charles are creating anxiety among the royal family-especially Prince William.
A private meeting at Highgrove has led to claims the Duke of Sussex extended a formal invitation to Charles to appear with him in Birmingham at the Invictus Games. While this news will most likely be welcome by father and son, it has also been causing concern within the royal establishment on the potential impact such an appearance may have.
The Stakes for an Invictus Invitation
The Invictus Games have been a sporting initiative founded by the Duke of Sussex in 2014 for injured and sick service veterans to use adaptive sports to aid rehabilitation; this year the sporting event will take place in Birmingham.
An invitation for King Charles to attend would provide, the following symbolic opportunities to, a potentially successful, father and son reunion:
The presence of the British monarch would draw much attention not only to the games, but also to the disabled and injured veterans taking part in them.
It would be the first television appearance the King has made with his youngest son since rifts in their father-son relationship had been published far and wide.
Furthermore, royal watchers suggest it could be an effort for Harry to bolster his public image at a time when he’s still negotiating legalities around security issues during visits to the UK.
Why William remains warier
Despite claims that Charles is amenable to keeping his family open for dialogue with his younger son, Prince William is said to be concerned about the overall implications of a televised reunion.
Sources say his main concerns revolve around two areas:
The risk of an ‘overly public affair’: William fears a major, high-profile sporting event turning into something like ‘Hollywood coverage of a Royal reunion’, thus potentially detracting from the core reason for the event: the disabled and injured sports competitors.
The need for family stability: Having seen how his family has been picked apart by commentators in recent years and after dealing with accusations leveled at royal life, the Prince of Wales is eager to keep family members on a stable footing and shield the working royal family from further controversy.
The King is considering the invitation, and while his choice will undoubtedly be analyzed for any implications regarding father-son and sibling relations alike, the stability of the monarchy overall remains at stake.