The Duke of Sussex has expressed his wish for the monarch to join him at the 2027 Invictus Games, which will take place in Birmingham, as the father and son continue to mend their relationship14:06, 03 Aug 2026Prince Harry has expressed his wishes for his father, King Charles, to join him at the 2027 Invictus Games, which will be held in Birmingham. It is believed that the organisers of the sporting event - which was founded by the Duke of Sussex to help injured veterans - are planning to invite the monarch to take part in either the opening or closing ceremony, while also hoping he will attend a range of the sporting events to meet competitors.‌It is understood that Harry will attend next year's Games, after he recently made a five-day trip to his home country to mark the official one year countdown to the 2027 event.‌‌While in the UK, Harry - along with his wife Meghan Markle and their children Archie and Lilibet - reunited with the King and Queen in Highgrove in a private meeting, marking the first time Charles had seen his grandchildren in several years.Harry has been making steps to mend his relationship with his father, engaging in private meetings over the last few years, as they work towards a reconciliation.The prince’s relationship with his father has been strained since he and Meghan quit their royal roles in 2020 and relocated to America, where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not shy away from speaking candidly about their experiences within the Firm.‌On several occasions, Harry and Meghan levelled public jibes at the Royal Family, most notably in their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, their 2022 Netflix docuseries, and in Harry’s autobiography Spare, which was released in 2023.However, as the King’s cancer diagnosis was made public in 2024, Harry expressed his wishes to rekindle a relationship with his estranged father. In September 2025, when Harry was in the UK for the annual WellChild Awards, he and the King had a private meeting at Clarence House, which was their first face-to-face meeting in 19 months.‌Now, Harry believes by having the King at the Invictus Games, it will continue to be a step in the right direction for them to patch up their relationship, while also giving more gravity to Harry’s fight for security when in his home country.One insider said: “Harry’s intention is two fold. He would love the King’s support at the Games, while having his father by his side would also add considerable weight to his argument for security for his family to accompany him on the trip. “Sources close to the duke also suggested his desire to have his father by his side at next year’s Invictus Games serves a dual purpose. Another source said: “Next year is a big deal for Harry. He is determined that the Birmingham Games will be the best ever and it would mean the world to him to have his father there." Another royal source suggested the King “would welcome the opportunity to see his grandchildren again”.‌However, one royal expert believes that if the King is seen at the Invictus Games, it may upset the monarch’s eldest son, Prince William. Earlier this year, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the Mirror that supporting Harry presents Charles with a dilemma, as he will be reluctant to be seen to be siding with one son over the other.She explained: “Invictus has become pivotal. It is Harry’s great cause and his greatest achievement and any father would want to support his son as the games come to the UK. But it’s not straightforward for the King – sadly for him, his family matters never are.‌“It could become a classic case of a father having to choose between his warring sons. We can only imagine how William might feel if Charles publicly threw his support behind the games and Harry.“William has bitten his lip, risen above the accusations and knuckled down to the job, in spite of the brutal cancer diagnoses for both Catherine and Charles. To see his father stand on a very public platform and salute Harry’s achievement would be tough. But that’s the dilemma the King might face.”‌In January, a spokesperson for Invictus said: a spokesman said: “The royal family have been longstanding supporters of the Invictus Games since its inception in 2014."“While it is too early to confirm who will attend in 2027 as invitations have not yet been sent out, organisers of the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027 will issue invitations to members of the Royal Family in due course, and we would very much welcome their presence.”Harry is continuing with planning for next year’s Invictus Games, which he originally launched in London in 2014, with the competition aiming to challenge "perceptions of disability, champion adaptive sport, and demonstrate the resilience, determination and unconquered spirit of wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans”.Article continues belowIt has since been held in Orlando, Toronto, Sydney, The Hague, Düsseldorf and Vancouver-Whistler, Canada for the inaugural winter games in 2025.