The Windsors are actually in a somewhat difficult position at the moment with Prince Harry, the Invictus Games and their relationship with British and Commonwealth veterans. The Windsors have this ridiculous narrative that they alone are “serving” and that the military and veterans’ community “needs” them to wander around in their fake medals and Muammar Gaddafi cosplay. The fact that Harry doesn’t actually need a uniform to have the respect of veterans is shocking to them. They’re still in shock that Harry created Invictus, a global “warrior games” with respect and funding from the international community. Which is why the Windsors have been clout-chasing Harry and Invictus for years, even attempting to take credit for Invictus or claim some kind of ownership over it.
Now the British government is throwing everything they can to try to win the bid for the 2027 games. The smart move, for the Windsors, would be sending their warmest congratulations to Harry and the Invictus community on the tenth anniversary Invictus service next week. The smart move would be King Charles sending some royal delegates to the service in his place, perhaps some of Harry’s favorite cousins, perhaps his aunt Princess Anne. Someone who can create a visual link between the Windsors, Harry and Invictus. Alas, the Windsors are too f–king stupid to do that. According to Page Six’s sources, Harry even invited his family to next week’s service, but they’re too bitter and dumb to respond.
Prince Harry is attempting to mend fences with his family — and has invited them all to the Invictus Games 10-year celebration ceremony in London, multiple sources tell Page Six. However, no senior members of the royal family are expected at the event at St Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday.
His sister-in-law Kate Middleton is currently undergoing cancer treatment away from the public eye, and Harry remains estranged from his older brother, Prince William.
As Page Six previously revealed, Harry, 39, has not spoken to his brother, 41, for more than a year in the wake of his bombshell memoir, “Spare.” A well-placed London socialite who knows the brothers confirmed that Harry had invited William — as well as other members of the royal family — to the event to honor the veterans charity he founded.
My guess is that we’re supposed to think “poor naive Harry, still trying to build bridges with his dogsh-t family.” But Harry is strategic and much smarter than people believe. Sure, it was a magnanimous gesture, to invite his family (if that’s what he did). But he probably invited them knowing that they would turn him down. And he can look around and say “hey, I tried, they’re just not going to change.” And that’s what he’ll say to the committee debating whether the games should go to Birmingham as well: “The service was a dry run to see how it would go, the Windsors still suck, the press was unhinged and my security situation was still god-awful. The Games should go to DC.”
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- HRH Prince Harry & the Duchess of Cambridge leaving Westminster Abbey following the Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving on Anzac day.,Image: 428217866, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Prince Harry,Duke of Sussex, Credit line: Wheatley / Wenn / Avalon
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- The Duke of Sussex leaving the Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, London. Picture date: Thursday April 25, 2019.,Image: 521766974, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- The Duke of Sussex leaving the Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, London. Picture date: Thursday April 25, 2019.,Image: 521766980, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- The Duke of Sussex attends the Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, London. Thursday April 25, 2019.,Image: 531605453, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- The Duke of Sussex attends the Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, London. Picture date: Thursday April 25, 2019.
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- The Duke of Sussex leaving the Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, London. Picture date: Thursday April 25, 2019.
It would be the right thing to do, so I don’t doubt Harry did invite them. But snubbing is how they roll.
🙏🙏🙏 for Invictus Games in DC!
While I think having the games in U.K. would actually be brilliant – if they don’t attend, they REALLY look like turds…I live right outside of D.C. (well, as close as L.A. is to Montecito LOL) and I would absolutely volunteer the entire time and be there the entire time. I’m so inspired by all of it, and my husband served in active theater in the 82nd Airborne and is visiting the V.A. today because his lungs suck from exposure to lots of toxic crap during his service. It would be such an honor.
My hubby did 28 years in the USAF. Thankfully he escaped with no serious or long lasting conditions. The closest was minor injuries during the Khobar Towers bombing in 1996. My sympathy and prayers go out to you and your husband. They’re discovering so much long term damage from especially the early years of the wars. I’m so glad Biden took action on exposure to burn pits. I hope you’re able to navigate through the VA without too much hassle. 🙏
Agreed, come to DC! We have so many active duty service people around this area with all of the military bases nearby. I live near an Army base in the DC burbs and there are so many retired service people in my neighborhood. They would have no problems finding volunteers and people interested in attending the games.
It’s too bad the Royal Family can’t think of the British people for once and do the right thing re: Invictus. But they won’t change.
Bases upon bases out here. You can throw a stone and hit a veteran in the DMV
It’s a good thing the RF are so predictable. I will confidently book my train and hotel for DC 2027 knowing that those old a@#wipes refuse to learn new tricks.
Was that PH’s decision or did the people scheduling the event invite the royals? That would make more sense. The smart thing would be for Charles to go himself. He has managed to do other events. He also, at least, did serve in the military. If W&K are truly so anxious for the cousins to know each other, this would be a good opportunity for PW to “extend an olive branch”.
He served in the Navy but never had to face enemy fire, the only living royals to have done that are Harry and Andrew, Andrew of course, is right out of the question.
Service is still service even if no combat is involved.
Lol, if true. And if true, I wonder if the family members actually send an actual decline, a no thank you, or do they just ignore the invite.
Inviting them is just the polite thing to do. I doubt Harry is expecting a positive response when dealing with the Firm.
Let’s go, DC!
This is H handing them enough rope, by the sounds if it. This way the press can’t paint him later as running a counteroffensive against the BRF. He has made a deliberate effort here to include them and share the spotlight. He has been magnanimous.
H behaves like a king, periodt. The one sitting on the throne like he’s suffering from a grievous case of hemorrhoids every time his younger son is mentioned, and TOB hiding in his pints will never hold a candle to H.
Unfortunately I have just found out that the service is at the same time as a Garden party at BP. I wonder if if was deliberate and if it was, who chose the date first.
BF hoist by their own petard, lovely to see
I hope you are right. It makes me sick to think that he would be exposed to this treatment. And how it would undermine the IGs as well as the athletes… I so hope he’ll suppress his kind and forgiving side to push for the IGs in DC…
As per usual. Kaiser hit the nail on the head.
“Muammar Gaddafi cosplay” lmao. Yes, and I do believe he invited them to make them look bad, knowing they would snub him and the veterans who keep their country safe. I like Harry’s petty side. Cue 1,000 “olive branch” stories…
“Muammar Gaddafi cosplay” LOL! 100%
All their military cosplay is African Dictator Chic. Especially Marines dropout Edward showered in medals. They can wear dress uniforms but they want nothing to do with wounded veterans. Great look.
The Left Behind Royals won’t come near the veterans, for fear of being told too many home truths about themselves and their craptastic cosplay.
Well if he did invite them then they continue to show themselves for not caring about the their wounded veterans.
I can see how this was strategic and if so, he kinda backed them into a corner. The military folks that be over there REALLY want the games to come back to the UK. The Windors are supposed to be soft power players for things like this. Them ignoring the Games is already not a good look, but doing it when the event next week is in their own backyard? When there’s a real effort to win the bid? Really, REALLY terrible look. Not that they care, but it is.
On the other hand, if they go, I’m sure to them it means recognizing the success of the Games, which means recognizing HARRY’S success and they rather walking on hot coals than do that.
Yes, IG is so successful that the deliberate ignoring becomes obvious. It makes them look like such children. Charles is going to attend a garden party but not a ceremony for vets. Okaaay. King Charles of the order of the petty.
It’s also in sharp contrast to other countries, when the military AND political leaders come out in full force to support Invictus (and lets not forget that charles is commander in chief.) So we can get pictures of Willem-Alexander supporting Invictus but the British monarch is MIA for this?
yeah great look Charles lol.
Of course the King might not be able to come because of the chemo schedule but if he can’t it has to be William the next head of the armed forces. It will look very bad if one of them doesn’t turn up.
If the IG are in Washington D.C., then Potus & Flotus will attend, I believe.
Apparently H learned from the best re being petty. Speaking of petty:
@Jais, It’s “King Charles of the Order of The Petty” for future reference regarding titles, be they earned or unearned. This title is well earned!!!
William is still too busy with the school run. But I bet he will turn up at some other event that day.
I mean, they allowed themselves to be backed into a corner! It’s not like the event was a secret. If they had wanted to, the Windsors could have either accepted the invitation, sent a family member like Anne, and gotten credit for it. Or Charles could have put out there that he wanted to attend but couldn’t, thus at least getting some credit. Or they could have made it seem like Harry was barring them from attending the church service or something. I dunno. But this seems like the worst possible outcome for the Windsor clan.
Yep, if true, a brilliant move by Harry. As in all things Sussex vs left behinds, Sussex leads Windsors follow. Active vs reactive. What will they do?! Lol!
Poor Willy is gonna lose his mind over this. It would be God awful if any of ’em do attend wearing their unearned medals, .i.e, basic metals.
The people running the Birmingham bid must be completely fed up with the royal family.
Smart decision Harry, paint them as the aggressors, as the bitter unforgiving ones. Same as how it is on public record that they all declined to attend lili’s party and christening
Their entire public image is being an admirable family, so snubbing their own son, brother, etc while snubbing veterans is absolutely crap PR.
And that’s how you know they’re likely to do it. The RF might have the worst PR people on the entire planet. Worse seven than Donald Trump’s PR people, who at least stick to a lie and drive it home.
Agreed. Smart & strategic move [if true] to invite them. Also polite.
Plus, if “royals” attend, there will be adequate security. Well played.
Prince Harry is a compassionate man. He cares for the vets. He wants respect for them. And they deserve this respect from the “royals”. Here’s your big chance, BaRF. Go to church.
“Plus, if “royals” attend, there will be adequate security. Well played.”
That was my first thought, too. Brilliant strategy to get the security needed.
I doubt he thought they would say yes. He was being polite which is as it should be.
It was right to invite them.
I 100% believe this story. Not because I think Harry wants to bury the hatchet, but because it would be the correct/professional thing to do on behalf of an international organization. Relationship building with a host country is just protocol. This would have been a perfect opportunity for the Windsors to demonstrate their relevance but because it involves supporting something associated Harry, they won’t do it. Their loss! The Dutch royals were widely celebrated for their support and attendance, if I recall correctly.
My guess is the foundation invited the Royal Family not Harry himself. Yes it would be a good idea to invite them to cut off the press narrative but at some point Harry has to accept that his family want nothing to do with him unless he leaves Meghan and the children.
That’s what I think. Since it involves the military, the CIC would automatically be notified/invited.
Of course it would follow that C111 would as CIC, receive an invite, but perhaps like Trump he would not wish to be pictured with ‘people like that’. Good look Chuck!! Recruitment officers will have a tough task the next few years.
Meghan has said far far less than Harry about her time in Britain but she is getting all the flack. I suppose it is her fault for being the wrong colour.
I’m sure color is a part of it, but I think it’s also that she’s an American married-in commoner. Even though Harry is considered a traitor to the RF, he’s still royal and they’d still take him back into the family if he apologizes and grovels and leaves Meghan behind. So there has to be a person in this story who is beyond redemption and will take all the flak, and that’s Meghan.
Good move on Harry’s part if true. If they refuse and none of them show up (the most likely scenario), it just reinforces the idea that the Windsors are petty and dysfunctional and are willing to take petty grievances out on the military they pretend to lead and support in their fake shiny medals and uniforms.
I hope their absence for petty, stupid reasons (take that, Harold!) is noted by the IG27 organizers and makes it even more clear and easy to reject Birmingham as a host city. Why any organization would want to invite (by holding the Games in the UK) a snub by the country’s head of state and invite years’ worth of abuse of its founder and most prominent advocate AND invite rejection of the veteran athletes by the country’s most famous/public family is all beyond me.
I just hope all of this leads to DC getting the next Invictus Games. If the Leftover Royals are going to be this rude and obstinate then they’ll have to live with the consequences.
Don’t quote me in this but I think IG’s Twitter said they will be celebrating for a week with events throughout. If none of the family shows up at all it’s going to look terrible. Pegs won’t be able to control himself so he’s going to look even worse bc he will schedule something during that time.
Speaking of Gaddafi cosplay: since this isn’t a royal or state event, what is the rule for Harry’s uniform? Can he wear it if he chooses to?
From what I can remember when this site has had these convos before, there are only certain times a veteran would be allowed (by military regulations) to wear their uniform (maybe weddings or funerals?) so I don’t think this memorial type of church service would qualify. I think he’ll just wear a gorgeous and well-fitted suit with his 4 medals.
Harry should only wear ONE medal. The medal he Earned for his service. Leave those “Queens Jubie” medals at home in a drawer.
Ranae, Harry respected and loved his grandmother, so I doubt he would take those medals off.
No he can’t wear a uniform, to wear a uniform he would have had to reach the rank of major, he left the army as a captain, and of course all the top brass uniforms were taken away when he left the RF.
He was awarded the rank of major, I think it was two years ago. It was awarded after he left. I’m pretty sure it was in a February. He had garnered enough points for the promotion.
Harry’s appointment to major was in 2018, three years anfter he left active duty, and it was an honorary rank given the same time as appointments to the RAF and Navy. So I think when he lost his military ranks it put him back at Captain which he had earned.
I agree. This service later this month should be a litmus test to see how the RF and the media behaves. If the the tabloids use this opportunity to unfairly abuse the founder and patron of Invictus and his wife (we all know that she’ll be abused even though she’s not attending), they should decline the UK’s bid. If they (the media) carrry on in their normal fashion, it will be far far worse if the games end up being there. It would be unfair to the games and all involved.
The Invictus service is in 5 days. We’ve been seeing how they’re covering it for the past couple of weeks, from, “Is Harry(Meghan) going” to, “Harry’s going but [ha ha] he’ll have to stay in a hotel”, “We’re entitled to have Meghan show up here”, and the ever popular, “Charles is too busy and Will and Kate have no intention of seeing Harry.”
The visit to Nigeria is later this month.
They won’t be able to stop the press, they can’t cope with how successful Invictus as become.
I actually think that the decision not to have a senior Royal member is more complicated, or that’s maybe not the right word- based on more serious concerns than the family’s anger at Harry. I think that the Royal family lives in an extraordinary bubble where they are fed curated information about who is popular and the mood of their “subjects” from courtiers and the royal tabloids that we know Charles and Camilla read every day.
I think that the Royal family believes that Harry is deeply unpopular in the UK and that is sadly true to a certain extent with a subset of the population. But, it is not true at all in terms of the veteran community. I suspect that there are a number of courtiers and private secretaries sweating right now. Harry will receive a hero’s welcome from the moment he appears at this service. This would be the first time that members of the Royal family would actually see this, it couldn’t be hidden and spun to them. And I think they might be quite confused and possibly have a bit of a light bulb moment.
I bet that the Royals actually think their weirdo podcast during Dusseldorf really “upstaged” Invictus. LOL. The RF has treated Harry and Meghan like garbage. I am not suggesting their behavior is not their own and that they’ve been misled by the courtiers in how they’ve treated Harry. But, I do think they have been seriously misled about how their behavior is viewed and how Harry is viewed and *nowhere* is the stark difference between tabloid lies and reality more glaring that an Invictus reception packed with veterans. I hope the courtiers are shaking in their boots. They better pray no member of the RF attends. Because the jig will be up
Absolutely these folks live in their own bubble. They claimed that had lots of support from the public because their land line phones were getting many, many calls in support of Kate during her (???what’s wrong???). I think they hear about the Yougov polls of old Englanders and think that’s the only truth, and then get shocked when they see Harry and Meghan draw crowds and cheers. Their brains explode. Charles people have zero understanding, and William’s people are shifty little weasels who stroke his ego, possibly spend his money, and throw their own weight around because they have the might of the heir behind them. I sure as hell wouldn’t want to serve a KP staff member at a restaurant. The entitlement must be off the charts! So long as they can rule in their own little world, they don’t care about the bigger picture.
The royals have no accountability to anyone. The media shields them from the public, so they can continue living in their little myopic worlds
It’s not that complicated at this point. Charles is the CIC and he’s old enough to have figured out, especially after the Dutch king showed up at the IG in The Hague, that Invictus has become important globally, but particularly that he has a responsibility to support his country’s veterans which supersedes whatever his issues are with Harry, the possibility of him making Harry look good, or whether the general population’s feelings about Harry are negative.
There should have been “best of luck” sentiments and every kind of support for the IG team going to Dusseldorf. That didn’t happen, but surely even Charles was aware of the huge NATO contingent that stopped by?
This anniversary service is in the UK. Anne is President of the Women’s Section of the Royal British Legion (Charles declined to take over TQ’s role at patron), so is not only a reasonable person to attend, but possibly the only really acceptable representative. At the very, very least, Charles needs to send a message of congratulations on the accomplishments of the past ten years.
Time to put on the big boy pants, let go of the jealousy and pettiness, and grow up. Actually, he should be hugely proud of Harry, but that would be asking too much.
Anne would be the perfect choice. Plus her husband retired as an actual admiral. Like Harry, his medals are real . Plus his rank allows him to still wear his uniform. If nothing else, send him alone. Just deputize him like they do for funerals. And he’s a nice guy who has headed up a significant charity himself.
Brilliant point. Absolutely they are trying to avoid the cognitive dissonance that would come when faced with the reality of Harry’s popularity.
British people I know cannot stop going on about how Harry regrets his decision and Meghan is a failure and everyone loves Charles and Camilla and Kate. The bubble is intense and blinding. No wonder Brexit was passed.
Agree about the sweating and confusion. Not so sure about the lightbulb moment.
I’m confused by all this. The king doesn’t need an invitation to attend anything he wants – who’s going to tell him no? I can see this invitation more as asking Charles to decide yes, and also to get ahead of the stupid articles about “Charles was never invited.”
I’m honestly sick of the other royals. I don’t think their presence at IG would be appropriate considering how unsupportive they have been towards an actual veteran in their family (Harry), his family and the UK veteran athletes who continue to be ignored by them each IG. I feel like the Queen was more supportive of the IG and the UK veteran athletes and it’s obvious the other royals don’t. I would love to see some of Harry’s Spencer family members there, especially his aunts, uncle and possibly cousins. I feel like the UK family that really loves him and respects all that he has accomplished are his mothers family and that would be the best outcome in my opinion.
Agree. I don’t know why everyone thinks the royals need to be there at IG and how bad it would look. And? All of those chocolate medals and dictator chic costumes already look bad and is disrespectful to the military. Their “service” and “care” for vets is already performative. IG does not need the royals there and it has become even more successful and global without the presence of Harry’s family. They need to stay home and worry about their own problems.
Did any of the Spencer family serve in the military? I googled and couldn’t find anyone had served. They were politicians, not military, so it appears.
I freaking loved the Queen’s cameo in Harry’s IG video with Michelle Obama. She never does stuff like that. Her appearance with Daniel Craig as bond is the only one I can think of prior and that was for her jubilee. (Then paddington after, again for a jubilee). This was just a grandma helping a grandson.
“Oh!” She says when Harry says it’s Michelle. Then when the Americans do a mike drop and say boom, her response of “boom, really” is so funny. And lets Harry do his own Mike drop.
Harry did the right thing by inviting them. Every time they snub him other people appreciate him even more.
“That Family” are just too jealous and salty to put themselves aside for Veterans that have literally put their lives down for King and Country and often with devastating consequences and disabilities.
This is the beginning of the end of the Windsor’s.
What would he be doing if Meghan and Archie left Harry in 2020? He would cover William, Kate, and Charles, a super workaholic. They don’t want this grown man to have love and happiness. His only goal in life is to serve the Crown. I am not sure he would not regret sacrificing love and parenting to please a self-centered family and die-hard monarchists.
A “well-placed London socialite” is a monarchist who speaks on behalf of KP and BP but believes Kate has been in chemo since January. Page Six stays on the yellow line.
The British media will do a fantastic job of spoiling the country’s opportunity to host the games with the thousands of anti-Meghan articles and reports demonizing Nigeria as they did Jamaica. They continue to speak about her as if she’s a runaway slave.
Ironically, they are willing to spend millions to host IG. but won’t host the Commonwealth Games. Can someone make that makes sense?
Some people blast Meghan for cutting toxic people out her life but that is the best option for her sanity.
When will Harry realize that his family have no care for him? Trying to find compassion and reason in toxic people is exhausting.
Why is this a thing? The only reason I can come up with is to show the brf snubbing Harry. Again. Okay, we get the message.
IG doesn’t need any member of the royal family other than Harry. I suspect at this point that the UK service members know that the brf and government don’t care about them. Mary Pester told us a while ago that there were service members who said being deployed meant better housing then what they have at home. The UK royals don’t ever say anything to encourage the injured or ill service members. The brf (and government) evidently feel that remembrance day is all they need to do. It’s shameful. I’ll continue to root not only for the US during IG but I will be rooting for the UK. Well, and Canada, too, of course!
If Charles were not the weak and petty person that he is, he would at least send congratulatory messages to the Church service, as someone in the comments has already pointed out. Better yet, he could show his support by showing up in person. Only Charles needs to attend because he is CIC. He could come in as king, and force Harry to bow. He would be showing support for his veterans and his son for creating the IG. William doesn’t need to attend. He would add nothing to the service.
I pray DC comes out on top of the bid, but I am concerned with make-up of the Invictus Board which is heavily UK based. Obviously, the Birmingham bid is an excellent one on its own merits, but I imagine there are other factors involved. I’m sure the British Media and the royal family can be counted on to leave a bad taste in everyone’s mouth, and treat Meghan, who has become an integral part of Invictus, with the bile that they cannot stop producing. I can see, with circumstances being different, that it would be great to have IG return to the UK, they had two consecutive European games, and two consecutive North American games would be great. Perhaps Asia or Africa will be ready for the one after that.
I agree but for one thing, If the King genuinely can’t attend because of his chemo, then William as the next CIC should.
Harry is too smart, and too good, for the left-behind royals.
I have to say, as a life-long military family member, royals playing military dress-up is offensive. And when they brush off a veteran organization just to snub a family member who risked his life for his country, I just wonder, what is the definition of ‘service’ the BRF uses?