Sept. 17, 2026

Harry Blames King Charles for Invictus Crisis? Uganda Withdrawal Sparks New Royal Row

Show Notes
Transcript

Prince Harry reportedly believes King Charles's recent Palace letter helped trigger Uganda's withdrawal from the 2027 Invictus Games. We examine the claims, reaction from royal commentators, Harry's upcoming Invictus Spirit Awards appearance, questions over his return to Britain, Sarah Ferguson's reported bid for a meeting with the King, and the bizarre dispute over Charles's Hungarian horses.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/palace-intrigue-harry-meghan-the-crown-royal-family-news-and-gossip--4522904/support.

Palace Intrigue is a daily British royal family podcast covering King Charles, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton and the House of Windsor. New episodes every day. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network.

WEBVTT

1
00:00:03.250 --> 00:00:12.710
Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue. I am your host,

2
00:00:12.769 --> 00:00:16.629
Mark Francis. Prince Harry was reportedly blaming King Charles and

3
00:00:16.670 --> 00:00:19.929
Buckingham Palace for Uganda's decision to withdraw from next year's

4
00:00:20.469 --> 00:00:24.449
Invictus Games in Birmingham. Uganda had agreed only two months

5
00:00:24.489 --> 00:00:28.190
ago to send wounded and injured military personnel to the

6
00:00:28.250 --> 00:00:32.100
competition in But General Mahuzi, the country's chief of defence

7
00:00:32.140 --> 00:00:36.509
forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni, now says Uganda

8
00:00:36.530 --> 00:00:39.750
will not participate. An unnamed source close to Harry told

9
00:00:39.789 --> 00:00:42.170
Radar Online that the Duke believes the timing of the

10
00:00:42.229 --> 00:00:46.009
letter from the King clarifying the Sussexes' status contributed to

11
00:00:46.189 --> 00:00:50.850
Uganda's withdrawal. Sources supportive of Charles reject the suggestion that

12
00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:54.039
the palace intended to undermine the Games. They argue that

13
00:00:54.079 --> 00:00:57.179
the King supports organisations serving veterans themselves. and that the

14
00:00:57.320 --> 00:01:00.990
recent guidance addressed only Harry and Meghan status as private citizens.

15
00:01:02.189 --> 00:01:05.209
Public relations consultant Mark Borkowski told the Daily Mail that

16
00:01:05.650 --> 00:01:09.670
Uganda's reported withdrawal should be taken seriously. Uganda is the warning.

17
00:01:10.189 --> 00:01:13.420
The Sussex soap opera is now damaging Invictus, the one

18
00:01:13.659 --> 00:01:17.400
unimpeachable thing Harry created. The brand is beginning to consume

19
00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:21.159
the cause. But good news for Harry. Uganda is back.

20
00:01:21.799 --> 00:01:24.000
King Charles' top aide stepped in to clear up confusion

21
00:01:24.040 --> 00:01:27.950
over whether the monarch supported the country's participation Sir Clive

22
00:01:27.989 --> 00:01:30.530
Alderton jumped on the phone with the Ugandans and straightened

23
00:01:30.569 --> 00:01:33.280
things out, which gives Harry one fewer thing to complain about.

24
00:01:34.060 --> 00:01:37.439
Palace sources confirmed that the conversation took place and described

25
00:01:37.459 --> 00:01:40.120
the result as an example of the system working as intended,

26
00:01:40.260 --> 00:01:45.459
with officials providing clarification when Uganda sought guidance. One source

27
00:01:45.480 --> 00:01:47.569
told People they made it very clear that the reason

28
00:01:47.609 --> 00:01:50.030
they pulled out was a direct result of perceived guidance

29
00:01:50.069 --> 00:01:53.430
from the Lord Chamberlain. This was an unintended or intended

30
00:01:53.489 --> 00:01:56.409
consequence of the letter, and that was always going to happen.

31
00:01:58.260 --> 00:02:01.719
Royal author Robert Jobson suggests Harry concentrate on the charitable

32
00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:05.620
relationships he already has, telling the Express, Very few new

33
00:02:05.799 --> 00:02:08.360
avenues are open to him, and he would be wise

34
00:02:08.460 --> 00:02:11.479
not to go looking. The routes already open to him

35
00:02:11.560 --> 00:02:14.819
are the Invictus Games, Wellchild, and the charities he is

36
00:02:14.860 --> 00:02:18.360
already attached to. Expanding that portfolio now would be a mistake.

37
00:02:19.060 --> 00:02:20.460
It would look like a man who insists he is

38
00:02:20.500 --> 00:02:22.870
a private person bidding for a role. He has just

39
00:02:22.879 --> 00:02:25.000
been told very clearly in writing he does not have.

40
00:02:26.189 --> 00:02:28.860
Harry may have made a significant mistake by failing to

41
00:02:28.939 --> 00:02:31.199
tell King Charles that he was considering moving back to

42
00:02:31.300 --> 00:02:34.280
Britain when the family met privately at Highgrove this summer.

43
00:02:34.780 --> 00:02:38.020
According to Sunday Times royal editor Roya Nicker, who tells

44
00:02:38.199 --> 00:02:42.500
Times Radio, I think the slight error, possibly on Harry's side,

45
00:02:42.539 --> 00:02:44.539
is that when he came in July and had that

46
00:02:44.599 --> 00:02:47.379
lovely meeting, we are told, with the King at Highgrove,

47
00:02:47.419 --> 00:02:50.120
with the kids, and with Meghan and Camilla, I think

48
00:02:50.159 --> 00:02:52.099
it might have been a slight mistake not to have

49
00:02:52.120 --> 00:02:54.219
discussed the fact that he was thinking about moving back

50
00:02:54.280 --> 00:02:56.930
to the UK in a few weeks... After that, because

51
00:02:56.949 --> 00:02:59.460
the whole move back has really taken the palace by surprise.

52
00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:02.199
It's taken the king by surprise, and I think that's

53
00:03:02.219 --> 00:03:04.960
why the king feels he needs to do all this clarification.

54
00:03:05.919 --> 00:03:07.599
I think had there been a little more of a

55
00:03:07.719 --> 00:03:09.860
run-up to think about it, we might not be in

56
00:03:09.900 --> 00:03:12.759
this situation now. But I think people hope that some

57
00:03:12.810 --> 00:03:15.770
bridges have been built. This is effectively a horrible war

58
00:03:15.810 --> 00:03:18.569
of words between father and son again, which you sort

59
00:03:18.610 --> 00:03:20.409
of hope by them coming back. We might have seen

60
00:03:20.449 --> 00:03:22.490
the back of it, but I don't think we will.

61
00:03:23.310 --> 00:03:25.180
I just think their re-entry to life here is going

62
00:03:25.189 --> 00:03:29.699
to be very, very difficult. Prince Harry is due in

63
00:03:29.740 --> 00:03:32.719
London today for the first Invictus Spirit Awards, an evening

64
00:03:32.780 --> 00:03:35.599
recognising people whose recovery and service has helped others in

65
00:03:35.620 --> 00:03:39.189
the military community. The gala, presented by ATCO, takes the

66
00:03:39.210 --> 00:03:44.069
Invictus story beyond the sporting competition to celebrate achievements throughout

67
00:03:44.110 --> 00:03:48.629
the year. The awards recognise resilience, community work, international cooperation

68
00:03:48.680 --> 00:03:52.120
and philanthropic support. A fifth honour will recognise someone whose

69
00:03:52.180 --> 00:03:56.650
contribution stretches across several categories. Nominees did not have to

70
00:03:56.669 --> 00:04:01.030
be former Invictus Games competitors. Eligibility extended to wounded, injured

71
00:04:01.129 --> 00:04:04.370
and sick service personnel and veterans using sport or adventure

72
00:04:04.389 --> 00:04:07.400
in their recovery, as well as people helping that community.

73
00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:13.280
Harry's September charity schedule is facing criticism from an Express

74
00:04:13.360 --> 00:04:16.759
columnist who argues that announcing his appearances is intended to

75
00:04:16.839 --> 00:04:20.949
put pressure on the authorities responsible for his security. In

76
00:04:21.149 --> 00:04:24.689
An Opinion Piece, Emily Wright claims the publicity surrounding the

77
00:04:24.730 --> 00:04:27.949
visits could make it harder for RAVEC, the committee overseeing

78
00:04:27.990 --> 00:04:31.089
protection for royalty and public figures, to maintain its position

79
00:04:31.129 --> 00:04:34.930
on Harry's arrangements. Wright interprets the advance notice as a tactic.

80
00:04:35.449 --> 00:04:37.490
Draw attention to where Harry will be, then leave the

81
00:04:37.529 --> 00:04:41.730
authorities facing questions about how he will be protected. She

82
00:04:41.769 --> 00:04:44.949
characterizes the implied message as, I am here, the crowds

83
00:04:44.990 --> 00:04:46.949
are coming, and if anything goes wrong, the blame rests

84
00:04:47.029 --> 00:04:50.569
on you. Wright anticipates the comparison with William and Catherine,

85
00:04:51.110 --> 00:04:54.209
whose engagements are also publicized. She argues that their appearances

86
00:04:54.269 --> 00:04:59.129
take place within established royal protection arrangements, whereas Harry operates

87
00:04:59.430 --> 00:05:04.639
outside that system. Harry and Meghan are reportedly maintaining an

88
00:05:04.680 --> 00:05:08.180
expensive lifestyle despite continuing questions about their finances and the

89
00:05:08.220 --> 00:05:11.680
future of their business deals. An unnamed source tells Closer

90
00:05:11.860 --> 00:05:14.980
Online there's no denying that they're pretty darn fortunate because

91
00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:18.759
they're ultimately living a very five-star lifestyle despite all their

92
00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:21.139
money issues right now. A lot of people expected them

93
00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:23.959
to really cut back, and to be fair, there are

94
00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:26.360
still plenty of rumblings that they will eventually sell the

95
00:05:26.379 --> 00:05:30.079
Montecito property, but thus far there's been zero downsizing when

96
00:05:30.120 --> 00:05:33.240
it comes to their lifestyle. Harry insists they still have

97
00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:34.920
money in the bank, and he and Meghan are both

98
00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:36.980
projecting a real air of confidence when it comes to

99
00:05:37.019 --> 00:05:39.819
all the earning opportunities that they say are coming down

100
00:05:39.839 --> 00:05:43.579
the pipeline. Whether that confidence is warranted or not is

101
00:05:43.610 --> 00:05:46.399
something a lot of people question, but certainly the Sussexes

102
00:05:46.519 --> 00:05:49.990
are not presenting themselves as though they're struggling. More Palace

103
00:05:50.029 --> 00:05:57.120
in just a moment. Sarah Ferguson reportedly wants a face-to-face

104
00:05:57.160 --> 00:06:00.500
meeting with King Charles to discuss her future. Radar Online,

105
00:06:00.540 --> 00:06:04.420
citing unnamed sources, claims Sarah believes she has exhausted virtually

106
00:06:04.540 --> 00:06:06.959
every other avenue and now wants to speak directly to

107
00:06:07.040 --> 00:06:10.350
the King. As far as she's concerned, messages passed through

108
00:06:10.370 --> 00:06:13.540
other people aren't enough anymore, one source said. She wants

109
00:06:13.560 --> 00:06:15.439
to be in the same room as the king, look

110
00:06:15.459 --> 00:06:17.759
him in the eye, and understand whether there is any

111
00:06:17.800 --> 00:06:22.310
conceivable route back from where she finds herself now. For decades,

112
00:06:22.449 --> 00:06:26.490
Sarah's lifestyle was intertwined with Andrew's circumstances, and by extension,

113
00:06:26.889 --> 00:06:30.569
with the extraordinary privileges and security that came from remaining

114
00:06:30.649 --> 00:06:34.170
close to the royal establishment. Having that well disappear has

115
00:06:34.209 --> 00:06:37.649
left her facing some extremely uncomfortable questions about how she

116
00:06:37.740 --> 00:06:39.519
funds her future and what sort of life she can

117
00:06:40.019 --> 00:06:44.779
realistically maintain. What she desperately wants is certainty. She feels

118
00:06:44.819 --> 00:06:47.459
as though an entire support system vanished beneath her and

119
00:06:47.480 --> 00:06:50.100
she has been left trying to establish where she belongs,

120
00:06:50.319 --> 00:06:55.060
personally as well as financially. King Charles can keep his

121
00:06:55.100 --> 00:06:58.000
two Hungarian horses after a letter asking for their return

122
00:06:58.060 --> 00:07:03.310
prompted an awkward exchange between Budapest and Buckingham Palace. Nelson

123
00:07:03.509 --> 00:07:07.129
and Evako, a pair of Lipizzanas presented as a coronation

124
00:07:07.170 --> 00:07:10.100
gift in 2024... became the subject of a dispute when

125
00:07:10.139 --> 00:07:14.689
Hungary's agricultural ministry wrote to the king in July. According

126
00:07:14.730 --> 00:07:17.470
to the Telegraph, the letter was described as strongly worded

127
00:07:17.550 --> 00:07:20.930
and sought the horses' return to the Hungarian state stud

128
00:07:20.990 --> 00:07:24.129
farm where they were bred. The ministry now says the

129
00:07:24.149 --> 00:07:27.459
letter was worded inaccurately. It says officials corrected the error

130
00:07:27.480 --> 00:07:28.959
and made it clear to the British side that we

131
00:07:28.980 --> 00:07:31.939
do not wish to bring the horses home. But the

132
00:07:31.980 --> 00:07:35.259
explanation revealed a complication. Although the horses were presented as

133
00:07:35.300 --> 00:07:39.100
a gift, the paperwork apparently recorded a loan. The ministry

134
00:07:39.139 --> 00:07:42.759
says they remain the property of the Hungarian state. Officials

135
00:07:42.899 --> 00:07:45.959
are now trying to resolve that discrepancy. We are working

136
00:07:45.980 --> 00:07:47.899
to ensure that the gift is truly a gift, the

137
00:07:47.920 --> 00:07:52.120
ministry said, and that the two Hungarian Lipizzan horses can

138
00:07:52.160 --> 00:07:55.079
become the property of the British King permanently and with

139
00:07:55.139 --> 00:07:59.079
a settled legal background. The horses were selected during a

140
00:07:59.100 --> 00:08:02.139
visit to Hungary in early 2024 by the then Crown

141
00:08:02.279 --> 00:08:06.779
Aquary Toby Brown and the King's head coachman Matthew Powers.

142
00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:09.399
They travelled to the state stud and chose the two

143
00:08:09.439 --> 00:08:12.680
carriage horses for the royal muse. Their arrival was celebrated

144
00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:15.750
by Hungary's then defence minister, who posted photographs of the

145
00:08:15.790 --> 00:08:18.930
handover with the words, Hungarian horses at the service of

146
00:08:18.970 --> 00:08:22.149
the British royal family. And there you have it. If

147
00:08:22.170 --> 00:08:25.449
you'd like to email us, our address is thepalaceintrigue at gmail.com.

148
00:08:25.470 --> 00:08:27.670
If you're on Spotify, leave us a comment. If you're

149
00:08:27.689 --> 00:08:31.000
on Apple, hit that button that says listen uninterrupted and

150
00:08:31.019 --> 00:08:32.899
get the show commercial free for just five bucks a month.

151
00:08:33.480 --> 00:08:36.000
I'm Mark Francis. My thanks to John McDermott. This is

152
00:08:36.059 --> 00:08:37.889
Palace Intrigue. Good times.

Harry Blames King Charles for Invictus Crisis? Uganda Withdrawal Sparks New Royal Row

Listen On

Recent Episodes