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By Jack Royston
Chief Royal Correspondent
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Tensions between Prince Harry and Buckingham Palace appeared ready to flare after a source close to the Duke of Sussex blamed a letter sent by King Charles III for a crisis at his Invictus Games tournament for wounded veterans.
Uganda on Wednesday pulled out of the tournament "in order not to be construed as being opposed to His Majesty King Charles III," according to General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Ugandan chief of Defence Forces.
It came two days after Charles directed the head of the Royal Household, the Lord Chamberlain, to write a letter to stakeholders, including in government and the military, confirming that Harry and Meghan Markle were not working royals, should be regarded as private citizens and should not be referred to with their HRH [His/Her Royal Highness] titles.
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A source close to Prince Harry told broadcaster ITV that: "Intended or unintended, this is clearly a consequence of the Lord Chamberlain’s guidance regarding the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, that was rushed out without consultation on Monday."
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Why It Matters
Invictus is Prince Harry's flagship project and has earned respect from governments and militaries worldwide. Britain will host the games in 2027.
The Ugandan military chief's comments threaten to tie the event to the wider controversy around the Sussexes and their criticisms of the monarchy. At the same time, the blow to the Invictus Games appears to have fueled existing tensions between Harry and the palace.
Uganda and the Invictus Games
Kainerugaba, who is the son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, posted on X: "In order not to be construed as being opposed to His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom, whom we deeply revere, Uganda hereby withdraws from the invictus games."
"We shall not participate in anything that does not have His Majesty's approval," he added.
Newsweek has reached out to representatives of the Ugandan government's media team for comment.
Newsweek understands the king backs all organizations that support wounded service personnel and was ready to clarify any confusion around that issue but has not been contacted.
There is nothing to suggest King Charles disapproves of Invictus. In fact, he attended the opening ceremony of the first-ever games on September 11, 2014.
The king has not yet officially endorsed the 2027 games, which were due to be Uganda's first, though British media has already debated whether he should attend.
Kainerugaba met the chief executive of Invictus in the United Kingdom before announcing Uganda had joined the games, a move publicized at an event at Chatham House in London, where Prince Harry was present.
A press release from the Ugandan military at the time read: "Gen. Kainerugaba also conveyed his gratitude to Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, the founder and Patron of the Invictus Games Foundation, for his vision in establishing a movement that continues to transform the lives of service personnel worldwide."
Kainerugaba, who is know for making controversial statements on social media, was asked about his post on X by The Times and said: "I have factions in the Ministry of Defence that support that Harry-Meghan nonsense. I had to quash it straight away. I support the monarch. Period."
His X account is more idiosyncratic than many military commanders around the world. Kainerugaba previously quit X, and when he returned to the platform in January 2025, he said he intended to "shake up this world!"
As yet there has been no sign of any reversal of the decision to pull Uganda out of the games.
The Invictus Games in Birmingham
The blow comes during the countdown to the Invictus Games 2027 in Birmingham, the U.K.'s second-largest city and one with strong links to the military after its Queen Elizabeth Hospital treated British soldiers injured in Afghanistan.
The event is the biggest item publicly known so far on Harry's schedule during his first year back in Britain and could provide a useful stage for him to rebuild his relationship with the country of his birth.
Kainerugaba's comments, if not retracted, mark an awkward bump in the road. So far, Harry has largely succeeded in preventing the controversy surrounding his past criticisms of the monarchy from affecting the games.
If other countries took a similar approach to Kainerugaba's, that could pose a significant threat to the tournament's future. Alternatively, if the general retracts his remarks or other countries ignore them, the saga may not cause long-term damage.
Defense of the Invictus Games
Hostility to Harry and Meghan has threatened to spill over and contaminate Invictus before, including when Tom Bower suggested in his latest royal book, Betrayal: Power, Deceit and the Fight for the Future of the Royal Family, that the 2025 Games in Canada had become the "Meghan games."
He suggested former insiders believed media attention was focused more on the Sussexes than on competitors and questioned the Games' eligibility rules, particularly in relation to a wheelchair basketball match between Nigeria and the United States.
"While two men in the Nigerian team had lost a leg, none of the Americans were limbless," he wrote. "All were apparently suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Throughout the game, there was barely a murmur from the spectators. Halfway through the match, the Sussexes slipped into their seats."
At the end of the game, he said, "The American team wheeled themselves off the court into a secluded area and effortlessly they all got up and walked away. None of them appeared to be physically injured."
That criticism prompted a public rebuttal from David G. Paschal, director of the Warrior Games and speaking on behalf of Team USA.
In comments provided to Newsweek, Paschal said the American wheelchair basketball team included competitors with both visible and invisible injuries, including below-the-knee amputations and lower-limb function loss. He defended the inclusion of veterans with PTSD, describing it as a recognized service-related condition, and said: "Adaptive sporting events such as the Invictus Games save lives through community and purpose."
Harry and Meghan's spokesperson also hit back, saying: "Mr Bower's commentary has long crossed the line from criticism into fixation." The statement accused Bower of constructing theories about people he "has never met" and concluded: "Those interested in facts will look elsewhere; those seeking deranged conspiracy and melodrama know exactly where to find him."
Update 09/10/26, 10:30 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with further information and a new headline.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Dan Orton, Tony Phillips and Sam Wilson.
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