Harry Faces Fresh Invictus Games Blow As Uganda Withdraws After King Charles Palace Letter — And His Camp Points To “Confusion”
Prince Harry’s Invictus Games has suffered a sudden setback after Uganda withdrew from the competition, with people close to the Duke now pointing directly to a controversial Palace letter about his and Meghan Markle’s royal status.
Uganda had only announced its participation in the Games in July, but the country has now reversed that decision, saying it will not take part in any event without the approval of King Charles.
The extraordinary development came just days after Buckingham Palace issued guidance making clear that Harry and Meghan’s charitable work is undertaken in a private capacity, rather than as members carrying out official royal duties.
Harry’s Camp Links The Withdrawal To The Palace Letter
A source close to Harry told ITV that the timing appeared significant, claiming the decision was a consequence of guidance from the Lord Chamberlain that was issued without consultation.
“Sadly, the only people who will suffer are the Invictus Games competitors,” the source added.
The comments followed a statement from General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s armed forces chief and son of President Yoweri Museveni, who announced in the early hours of Wednesday, September 9, that Uganda was withdrawing from the Invictus Games.
He said the country did not want its involvement to be interpreted as opposition to King Charles, whom he said Uganda “deeply revere[s].”
“We shall not participate in anything that does not have His Majesty’s approval,” he added.
Uganda Had Only Just Joined The Games
The decision is particularly striking because Uganda had only recently been welcomed into the Invictus community.
On July 7, the country’s defence minister appeared alongside Harry at an Invictus event in London to announce Uganda’s participation.
Just weeks later, that commitment has been withdrawn.
According to ITV News, Ugandan Government spokesperson Alan Kasujja confirmed that General Kainerugaba speaks for the Uganda People’s Defence Forces.
He said there was no higher military authority than the president and that, unless President Museveni changed the position, it should be regarded as the military’s stance.
However, Kasujja also stressed that he did not know why the withdrawal had been made or whether it was connected to the Buckingham Palace letter.
Palace Guidance Reportedly Caused “Confusion”
Despite that uncertainty, Harry’s office believes the two developments are connected.
It is understood that the Invictus Games Foundation was told the Palace letter had created “confusion” within Uganda’s defence department, according to ITV News royal editor Chris Ship.
The letter, issued on behalf of King Charles, stated that any charitable work carried out by Harry and Meghan was a personal matter undertaken in their private capacity.
That distinction appears to have raised questions over how foreign governments and military organisations should interpret their involvement with the Sussexes and Invictus.
For Harry, whose relationship with the military community has remained one of the central parts of his public life since stepping down as a working royal, the timing creates an uncomfortable new complication.
There Is No Sign Charles Opposes Invictus
Importantly, there is no suggestion that King Charles does not support the Invictus Games.
The King attended the inaugural Games in 2014 and has long been associated with supporting wounded and injured service personnel.
A senior royal source stressed on Wednesday that Charles supports organisations that help wounded service personnel.
That makes Uganda’s decision less about any known opposition from the King himself and more about how his Palace guidance may have been interpreted by Ugandan officials.
For Harry, however, the fallout arrives at a particularly sensitive moment.
His return to Britain with Meghan and their children has already prompted renewed attention on the precise boundaries between their private lives and their royal connections. Now, a decision by a country that only recently committed to his flagship veterans’ event has added another unexpected layer to that debate.
And with Uganda stepping away so soon after announcing its participation, the competitors who were supposed to take part are the ones left caught in the middle.
