Prince Harry could attempt to heal the rift with King Charles at the 2027 Invictus Games, which will be held in Birmingham. Helen Helliwell, who is the CEO of the Invictus Games in Birmingham, has revealed that she hopes to see members of the Royal Family in attendance at the Games in 2027.
Harry has been at loggerheads with the royals for some time, with the Duke of Sussex now residing in the US with his wife Meghan Markle and two children – Prince Archie, 6, and four-year-old Princess Lilibet. Although he has made numerous visits to the UK since stepping down from royal duties in 2020, although it remains unclear if Harry has met with any members of his family – although he told the BBC back in May that he was not on speaking terms with the King.
Speaking to PEOPLE, she described the royals as “supporters of the Armed Forces”, adding, “they’ve been supporters of Invictus since inception in 2014.”
Helen told the publication: “Again, we’re two years away, and it’s too soon to confirm who’s going to be there. But obviously, we’d be delighted if members of the Royal Family were able to attend and would very much welcome their presence in a couple of years’ time.”
Discussing Harry, she said: “We will be delighted if they come over for the year out and for the Games. We are so far out it’s impossible for one individual to confirm their plans, but we would be delighted if the Duke were able to come.”
She added: “I’ve seen the impact. [Harry’s] passion is unsurpassed. He really brings a magical sparkle dust to his interactions, and there is a really special relationship with him and the community. So, we will be super excited to host him in Birmingham as well.”
Previously speaking to the Express about the King potentially attending the 2027 Games, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams revealed that it could come with one request from Harry and Meghan.
Mr Fitzwilliams said: “‘Reconciliation’ sounds so simple as everyone obviously supports it. However, it might involve extremely serious problems for the royal family, who rightly do not trust the Sussexes.
“If the King accepted it, this would involve public contact with Harry and almost certainly Meghan and his grandchildren, Archie and Lili.”
The King has spent very little time with his grandson Archie, who was born in the UK in 2019, and is thought to have only met Lilibet once.