Uganda has reversed its decision to withdraw from the Invictus Games after receiving clarification that King Charles III does not object to the country’s participation in the event founded by Prince Harry. Uganda will now resume preparations for the 2027 Games in Birmingham.
The decision came after a telephone conversation involving General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, and Sir Clive Alderton, the King’s principal private secretary. According to Uganda People’s Defence Force spokesperson Chris Magezi, Sir Clive told Ugandan officials that King Charles had no problem with Uganda taking part and encouraged the country to continue preparing its team.
The clarification ended a dispute that had caused Uganda to pull out only days after joining the Invictus community. Kainerugaba had announced the withdrawal on social media, saying Uganda did not want its participation to be seen as opposition to King Charles. He said the country would not take part in an event that did not have the King’s approval.
The announcement followed a period of renewed attention around Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s position within the British royal family. An official communication on behalf of King Charles had recently restated that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are not working members of the Royal Family. That clarification appears to have contributed to the confusion over whether Uganda’s participation in the Invictus Games had the King’s support.
Ugandan officials have now said the issue has been settled. Magezi said Kainerugaba appreciated the King’s clarification and that Uganda’s military would resume preparations for the Games.
Uganda had only recently become the 26th nation to join the Invictus community. The country is also the second African nation to join the organisation, according to the Invictus Games Foundation. Its participation in Birmingham 2027 was confirmed when Uganda formally joined the community.
The Invictus Games were established by Prince Harry in 2014 for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans. The event uses adaptive sport as part of recovery and rehabilitation, bringing competitors from different countries together. The next Games will take place in Birmingham from July 10 to 17, 2027.
Uganda’s defence minister, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, had previously welcomed the country’s entry into the Invictus community and praised the military leadership for helping make the participation possible. The government has described the programme as an opportunity to develop new sports and recovery programmes for Ugandan service personnel and veterans.
King Charles has a connection to the Games that goes back to their early years. He attended the first Invictus Games in London in 2014. His latest clarification does not change Prince Harry’s role in the event, but it has removed the immediate uncertainty that led Uganda to withdraw.
For Uganda, the reversal means its military team can continue preparing for its debut at the Birmingham Games alongside competitors from other participating nations. The brief withdrawal has also shown how questions surrounding Harry and Meghan’s relationship with the Royal Family can affect organisations and governments dealing with events associated with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
