Prince Harry did not see any of his royal relatives at a service to mark 10 years of his Invictus Games – however, several unexpected guests did turn out to support the Duke
Prince Harry sent a “clear signal” as several of his non-royal relatives turned out to support him at his UK event, an expert has said.
Harry was joined at the service of thanksgiving to mark 10 years of the Invictus Games at St Paul’s Cathedral by close relatives of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales and a mentor who supported him after her death, along with hundreds from the “Invictus family”.
Among the guests for the service were Diana’s siblings, Lady Jane Fellowes and Earl Spencer, and former army officer Mark Dyer, who acted as the duke’s mentor, playing the role of a supportive big brother figure for Harry after the princess’s death. Also there were his cousins Louis and Lara Spencer, as well as George McCorquodale.
The show of unity from the Spencers came after it was revealed Harry would not be meeting up with his father King Charles during his trip to the UK. A spokesperson for the duke said: “In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not the duke will meet with his father while in the UK this week, it unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full programme.
“The duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”
And according to royal expert and biographer Ingrid Seward, it shows how the Spencers have “laid claim” to Harry once again. She told The Sun: “They are very supportive of Harry and always have been. It sends a clear signal to the Royal Family and to Harry that Diana’s family are there for him.
“At his address at Diana’s funeral, Charles Spencer said he would look out for William and Harry in her place. He said ‘we your blood family will do all we can to continue the imaginative way in which you were steering these two exceptional young men so that their souls are not simply immersed by duty and tradition but can sing openly as you had planned’.
“Charles Spencer wanted the Spencer family to be prominent above all others, but the boys were sucked up by the Royal Family. Now that Harry has left the Royal Family, the Spencers have laid claim to him again.”
The service at St Paul’s came as just two miles away at Buckingham Palace, Charles was holding a garden party for 8,000 guests. The Duke, 39, did not meet up with his 41-year-old brother Prince William, either. Harry last saw the King in February when he dashed from the US after Charles’s cancer diagnosis. He arrived in the UK on Tuesday and is flying to Nigeria today to meet up with wife Meghan, 42, for a tour linked to the Invictus Games for injured and sick military personnel.
Harry was inspired to found the global tournament after attending the Warrior Games in Colorado in 2013 and seeing how injured American military personnel thrived on the challenge of taking part in competitive sports that aided their recovery.
He went on to stage the inaugural games in London’s Olympic Park in 2014 and the tournament has been held across the globe from Orlando and Sydney to Dusseldorf in 2023, with the 2025 event being hosted in Vancouver and Whistler.