The British royal family has not had anything to do with the Invictus Games in years. During the games in The Hague last year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex supported all of the veterans and met with all the delegations while the Windsors seethed and the Tory government pretended none of it was happening. The same is happening around the Dusseldorf games currently. Instead of putting aside personal beefs and merely showing support for veterans – most of whom were injured and traumatized in service to their country- the Windsors have not only made a big show of ignoring the games and the veterans, the Windsors have also sought to “torpedo” coverage of the Sussexes and the games, as if they’re jealous of the attention the Sussexes receive and the veterans receive. It’s all a ghastly and grotesque look, and now people are starting to talk about it… in the Telegraph? And the Daily Mail??

Team UK has noticed that the Windsors are ignoring them: It has not gone unnoticed at the Merkur Spiel-Arena, where there have been empty seats at events, that despite the worthiness of the cause, some supportive voices are missing. There is frustration among some of the British athletes that their endeavours are not recognised by the public figures who are so quick to send good wishes to those competing in other international sporting events, among them senior members of the Royal family. One official with the UK team admitted that although Invictus was getting bigger every year, it was felt there could be more support back home, particularly when there had been a notable focus on sport among the Royal family in the past week. A team insider said: “The athletes find it bizarre but don’t want to get caught up in the royal crossfire.”

William & Kate’s integral involvement? The Prince and Princess were integrally involved in the early success of the Invictus Games, with their Royal Foundation – then shared with the Duke – pumping significant injections of cash into the event. At the time, a courtier was quoted as saying: “Prince William and Catherine always supported Harry’s efforts to establish Invictus. They are delighted that it has been a success.”

The Windsors’ strategy towards Invictus: A UK media strategist, who did not want to be identified, told The Telegraph that the palace approach towards the Sussexes could be summed up as “ignore and distract”. He added: “It’s ironic Buckingham Palace has had more to say about the Highland Games than the Invictus Games, despite the honorary military roles they hold. In doing so, the palace ends up looking mean-spirited and petty. The ill will against Harry should not be held against the Invictus competitors.”

A member of Team Britain: Ben McBean, a double amputee who inspired the Duke to launch the event, said they should have put their differences aside. The former Royal Marine, who lost an arm and a leg in Afghanistan, said he saw “both sides” of the rift between the brothers. But he added: “Saying that, they should have just given the lads a shout-out. It’s like when we went to Afghanistan, no one supported the war, but they supported the troops. It’s the same thing.”

Someone wants Harry to give an Earthshot shoutout, lol: Palace sources insist members of the Royal family never involve themselves in each other’s professional endeavours. They would not expect the Duke to put his head above the parapet to voice support for the finalists of his brother’s Earthshot Prize, for example, and have left Invictus to the Duke for many years now.

Everyone loves Harry: Team Sussex gathers together each evening for a debrief and to unwind. Much of the work is done behind the scenes. On Saturday, the Duke joined Team UK for breakfast at the British consulate. “Just a super sound bloke, thanking us for all the work we’re doing with the competitors,” explained the team’s head coach, George Bates. “We love him here,” said British athlete Rich Waldrom, 47. “You’ll never get a bad word out of any of us for Harry. Look what he’s built. Look what he’s created for us all.” The Duke also meets hundreds of competitors away from the public gaze and holds meetings with officials about everything from future participation of other nations to funding.

[From The Telegraph]

“The palace ends up looking mean-spirited and petty” – what if I told you that the palace actually IS mean-spirited and petty? What if I told you that Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace have been planning their petty, mean-spirited, jealous, seething counterprogramming for months, that the only thing getting William and Kate off their asses is their desperate attempts to pull focus from Invictus? What if I told you that the thin-skinned, pathetic Windsors don’t respect veterans or the military, that the Windsors believe that they alone are “serving” their country? Like, even if you can make an argument that the Windsors were too busy to host a reception for Invictus veterans ahead of the games, there’s literally no excuse for failing to send a few tweets or Instagram posts supporting Team Britain. Considering the Windsor brand is “too lazy to show up for national competitions,” maybe this was to be expected.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.