Victoria Ward and Ben Farmer
London: Prince Harry has blamed Uganda’s decision to pull out of the Invictus Games on King Charles’ letter that described the Sussexes as “private citizens”.
Uganda withdrew from Harry’s international event for sick and injured military personnel on Wednesday (London time), claiming it did not have the King’s “approval”.
The extraordinary move was announced by General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the country’s military chief and son of the Ugandan president, who blamed the “Harry and Meghan nonsense”.
It came just two days after Buckingham Palace circulated a letter at the direction of King Charles confirming that the duke and duchess of Sussex were “private citizens” and that their work was not on behalf of the monarchy.
A source close to the Sussexes told London’s Telegraph on Wednesday evening that they believed the letter was to blame.
“Intended or unintended, this is clearly a consequence of the Lord Chamberlain’s guidance regarding the duke and duchess of Sussex that was rushed out without consultation on Monday,” the source said.
“Sadly, the only people who will suffer are the Invictus Games competitors.”
Kainerugaba had earlier written on X: “In order not to be construed as being opposed to His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom, whom we deeply revere, Uganda hereby withdraws from the Invictus Games. We shall not participate in anything that does not have His Majesty’s approval.”
He told The Times: “I have factions in the Ministry of Defence that support that Harry-Meghan nonsense. I had to quash it straight away. I support the monarch. Period.”
The Invictus Games Foundation was unaware of the development before Kainerugaba’s post was published on social media, the Telegraph understands. The organisation is now in discussions with its partners in Uganda to clarify the position.
In response, a Buckingham Palace source insisted that King Charles encouraged all organisations and endeavours in support of wounded service personnel.
Fears were immediately raised that Uganda’s decision was prompted by the letter circulated by the Lord Chamberlain, head of the royal household.
The letter was sent to a small number of “key stakeholders” in government and the military, specifying that the duke and duchess did not represent the sovereign, and were not working members of the British royal family.
It said the couple’s use of their HRH titles would remain in abeyance and that any charity work was “a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity”.
The letter added: “In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests.”
This marked the first sign of tension between the two camps since the pair returned to the United Kingdom with their two children last month.
The Sussexes admitted they were “surprised” not to have been given more than an hour’s advance notice of its circulation.
It was made public on the eve of a crunch meeting that is expected to decide whether the Sussexes are entitled to taxpayer-funded police protection now they are back in the UK.
The all-important royal and VIP executive committee (Ravec) meeting is scheduled to take place this week, marking the climax of a deeply personal battle that Prince Harry has fought for more than six years.
Kainerugaba, who is widely expected to follow in the footsteps of his 81-year-old father, Yoweri Museveni, is sometimes known as the “tweeting general” for his fiery and provocative posts.
In 2022, Museveni was forced to step in and apologise after his son posted a series of messages threatening to invade neighbouring Kenya. Kainerugaba was also condemned for posts that were subsequently deleted, in which he threatened to have Bobi Wine, a defeated opposition candidate, castrated.
The general has stepped down from the social media platform at least twice, but has returned each time.
Uganda only joined the Invictus Games in July, becoming the 26th nation to take part and the first country from East Africa. Its involvement was announced at an event at Chatham House in London, as Prince Harry began the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games 2027.
He was joined at the reception by Kiryowa Kiwanuka, Uganda’s defence minister, who praised the duke.
Kiwanuka said: “This milestone reflects our shared commitment to wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women who have sacrificed greatly in service to our nation.”
The minister said the decision to take part affirmed Uganda’s belief that “those who have borne the burdens of service deserve every opportunity to rebuild their lives with dignity, purpose, and hope”. “They are our living heroes,” he added at the time.
Harry posed for a picture with Ugandan delegates, raising a laugh as he held up a cardboard plaque the size of a tea tray and pretended to throw it like a Frisbee across the room.
The about-turn announced by Kainerugaba will come as a blow to Prince Harry, who has recently moved back to Britain and plans to make the build-up to next year’s games, which will take place in Birmingham, a central plank of his work.
Crucially, as palace sources indicated, the King’s lack of involvement in the Invictus Games, which is very much the duke’s project, should not be interpreted as a lack of approval.
When the event was launched in 2014, the King, then-prince Charles, joined his younger son at the opening ceremony, with the now Queen and Prince William.
Beyond that show of support, palace sources have previously insisted that senior members of the royal family never involve themselves in each other’s work.
The Invictus Games and the duke’s office have been approached for comment.
The Telegraph, London
