Uganda is set to participate in Prince Harry’s Invictus Games in Birmingham next year after a senior royal aide contacted the country’s military chief in an effort to ease tensions.
Sir Clive Alderton, the King’s principal private secretary, spoke with General Muhoozi Kainerugaba and said King Charles had been “moved” by the general’s careful consideration of the monarch’s position on the upcoming event.
General Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces and Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations, had announced on X last week that Uganda would withdraw from the Paralympic-style competition for wounded, injured and sick military personnel. He cited the continuing “Harry-Meghan nonsense” after the couple’s high-profile return to the UK.
The announcement drew a sharp response from a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The representative suggested that a letter from the Lord Chamberlain, which stressed Harry and Meghan’s status as “private citizens”, had “directly or indirectly” influenced Uganda’s decision to withdraw. The spokesperson also accused the palace of harming the interests of military personnel and veterans.
As head of the armed forces, King Charles quickly made clear that he supported organisations and initiatives benefiting service members and veterans.
The dispute now appears to have been settled. In a fresh statement shared on social media, Colonel Chris Magezi, Uganda’s acting director of Defence Public Information, said the country had agreed to rejoin the Invictus Games after Sir Clive made a private telephone call.
He said: “The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has approved UPDF (Uganda People’s Defence Force) participation in the upcoming Invictus Games next year in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
“The decision follows a telephone conversation between General Kainerugaba and the Principal Private Secretary to His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen of the United Kingdom, the Right Honourable Sir Clive Alderton KCVO.”
Prince Harry meets a Ugandan delegation at an event at Chatham House in London on July 8, when Uganda was announced as the newest member of the Invictus Games community
Prince Harry and Invictus Games chief Rob Owen (left) present a commemorative plaque in London in July to Kiryowa Kiwanuka (second left), Uganda’s Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs
“During the conversation, Sir Alderton said King Charles III had been moved by General Kainerugaba’s thoughtful consideration of the monarch’s views regarding the Invictus Games, which are organised by Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex.
“Sir Alderton said King Charles III had no objection to Uganda taking part in the Invictus Games and encouraged the CDF to continue preparations for the UPDF’s participation.”
‘In the telephone conversation, General Kainerugaba appreciated the King’s message and clarity provided by Buckingham Palace on the subject, promising that the UPDF would resume preparations to participate in the upcoming games.
‘The Invictus Games is an international multi-sport event founded by Prince Harry in 2014 for wounded, injured, and sick service personnel and veterans.
‘Uganda joined the Games this year as the 26th member nation, but the CDF had withdrawn UPDF participation in the upcoming games to preserve Uganda’s close relationship with the British monarchy after Buckingham Palace had earlier issued a statement indicating that the Invictus Games were a private charity organisation.’
It is not clear who reached out first, Buckingham Palace or the Uganda military.
But is understood that Buckingham Palace believes it shows how the King’s guidance in his letter last week – that anyone unclear how the Sussexes should be handled should contact the palace for guidance – is an example of how the system is working and has had a ‘positive outcome for all’.
A source said they were ‘most grateful’ to the Ugandans for their ‘courtesy and understanding’ on this issue and stand ready to assist any other organisations who may wish for assistance on such matters.
It is almost certain that Sir Clive, a life-long diplomat, felt he had to intervene not just from a military perspective but as Uganda is a long-standing member of the Commonwealth, and has been since it gained independence in 1962.
General Muhoozi Kainerugaba had said Uganda was pulling out of the Invictus Games
Private secretary Sir Clive Alderton (left, with Charles) called General Muhoozi Kainerugaba
The King, who is head of the ‘family of nations’, will be attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua in November.
The initial announcement last Wednesday by General Kainerugaba, the president’s son, saw him post 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.’
Asked by The Times why he made the announcement, General Kainerugaba then 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.’
While the matter is now resolved, it is an example of the delicate diplomatic line the King will have to continue to tread as regards his younger son – particularly as sources close Harry have indicated he will continue to speak out on political issues publicly, which could bring him in direct conflict with his father and head of state.
Two months ago, Uganda’s defence minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka posed for photographs with a smiling Harry at an Invictus Games gathering in London.
During the ceremony at Chatham House on July 7, Uganda was announced as the 26th country to join the competition and the first from east Africa.
Harry posed for a picture with Uganda’s delegates and held a roundel with the nation’s name – making the guests laugh as he jokingly held it like a frisbee.
The 41-year-old duke had been visiting the UK at the time for a week-long series of events marking a year until Birmingham hosts the Invictus Games next July.
The competition is a Paralympics-style event launched by Harry in 2014 to aid the recovery of injured or sick military veterans and servicemen.
Prince Harry and Meghan at a David Foster Foundation event in Canada on August 7
The original tweet last week, when General Muhoozi Kainerugaba said Uganda was pulling out
General Kainerugaba’s father Yoweri Museveni, whom he hopes to succeed as president, described Charles as ‘our good friend in the conservation of nature’ in a condolence message following the death of the late Queen in September 2022.
Mr Museveni also sent a congratulatory message for his coronation eight months later in May 2023, citing ‘brotherly and cordial relations’ between Britain and Uganda.
The late Queen made the last visit by a UK monarch to Uganda in 2007, when she attended a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala with Philip.
Last week, Harry and Meghan were understood to have been surprised by the King’s formal reiteration they will be treated as ‘private citizens’ and did not have enough time to clarify any points before the guidance was issued to the media.
Charles asked the Royal Household’s most senior officer, the Lord Chamberlain, to write to senior stakeholders within the Government and the military setting out guidelines on their status.
The letter was revealed to the media at 3.06pm last Monday. It is understood the contents were shared with Harry and Meghan’s team about an hour before at 1.59pm.
Team Sussex sent a response back to Buckingham Palace at 2.19pm asking whether the guidance had already gone out, in the hope of letting the duke and duchess know ahead of the media, and for the team to have the chance to clarify one or two points.
Meanwhile, Harry, who was pictured at Tower Bridge Studios in London in an Instagram post by the recording studios on Monday, was in a meeting and could not be contacted until 3.09pm when he was told a letter had been drafted and his team were seeking guidance on whether it had been distributed.
Team Sussex then received confirmation at 3.11pm it had already been sent to the media. A spokesman for Harry and Meghan said last week: ‘We were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance.’
The letter was revealed ahead of a reported meeting of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec), which is responsible for making decisions about royal security.
Queen Elizabeth II made the last visit by a UK monarch to Uganda in November 2007, pictured with Prince Philip meeting President Yoweri Kaguta and his wife Janet in Kampala
Harry is waiting to hear the conclusion of the Risk Management Board’s threat assessment and Ravec is expected to decide at the meeting as to whether the Sussex family should be entitled to taxpayer-funded security now they live in the UK.
Lord Benyon’s letter reiterated the King’s stance in August, when Harry and Meghan announced their return, that there would be no alteration to their role and status as private individuals and non-working royals.
It read: ‘It follows that there is no change to the current status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Their styles as His and Her Royal Highness remain in abeyance and are not used.
‘The charitable work of the Duke and Duchess is a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity. In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests.’
Meanwhile the Duchess has shared a video montage showing family outings back in the UK.
The footage posted on Instagram features Meghan with the Duke of Sussex, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet on outdoor adventures to the tune of Wham!’s Wake Me Up Before You Go Go.
A Union flag and red heart emoji sit at the top of the video.
Meghan and Harry are seen walking hand in hand in the first shot, with the duchess turning around to whoever is holding the camera and saying: “Come on, you, come on.”
The footage also shows one of the children sitting by a roaring fireplace, Lili wearing wellies while riding a bicycle with training wheels with a doll on the back and Archie running past his sister in his wellies.
Harry and his children are also seen going fishing.
Archie, seven, and five-year-old Lili have started the new school year in Britain after the family relocated from the US a little over two weeks ago, according to People magazine.
A source close to Harry and Meghan told the US publication that settling the children “has been, and remains, their focus. Everything else will fall into place when the time is right”.
They added: “There is a lot to do. They have just moved halfway across the world and it’s been really busy getting the kids settled.
“Their focus has been on that, and will remain on that, for the time being. They are happy to be back.”
Harry and Meghan stepped away from the working monarchy six years ago for a new life of personal and financial freedom in the US.
Just over a fortnight ago, they moved back, having enrolled Archie and Lili in new schools, with Meghan rumoured to be returning to acting again.
In January 2020, the duke and duchess had announced they intended to step back as “senior” members of the royal family, become financially independent, still support Queen Elizabeth II, but split their time between the UK and North America.
But the late Queen ruled at the Sandringham Summit, which was convened to resolve the Megxit crisis, that the couple could not be half in and half out.
