Prince Harry team break silence after Uganda’s U-turn amid Invictus Games drama

Prince Harry‘s team has released a statement after Uganda’s major U-turn over their participation in next year’s Invictus Games. It was revealed last week that Uganda had decided to withdraw from the Games, stating that it would not participate in any event without King Charles’s approval.

Just days later, it was revealed that the country had since said it would be willing to participate after speaking with the monarch. General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is the son of the Ugandan president and head of the country’s armed forces, made the previous shock announcement in a post on X.

He said, “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 revealed to The Times that the decision was made due to the “nonsense” surrounding the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after the King’s statement about their current status following their shock UK return.

Uganda has since announced that it will participate; the Games have issued a statement.

“We welcome the news that Uganda has confirmed it will continue to be part of the Invictus community and participate in the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027, now less than 300 days away,” Rob Owen OBE, CEO of the Invictus Games Foundation, said.

He added, “Uganda became our 26th nation earlier this year, joining a growing movement that provides year-round recovery opportunities for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans across the world.”

Back in July, Uganda’s defence minister appeared alongside the Duke of Sussex at an Invictus event in London to announce their entry to the Invictus Games.

The welcome to Uganda at the Games was announced at a ceremony at Chatham House in London.

Standing next to Harry, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, the defence minister, thanked the royal for welcoming him and credited President Museveni for his “visionary leadership” and Kainerugaba for “championing our team’s entry”.