Prince Harry suffers blow as Uganda pulls out of Invictus Games in 'display of loyalty to King Charles'

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The Duke of Sussex welcomed the nation to the Invictus Games just two months ago

General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda's commander of the armed forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni, has declared that his country is pulling out of Prince Harry's Invictus Games in a show of allegiance to King Charles.

The military chief posted his decision on X, stating: "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."

He added: "We shall not participate in anything that does not have His Majesty's approval."

The announcement landed just two days after the Palace moved to formally reaffirm that Harry and Meghan hold no official royal role in a clarification prompted by the couple's return to Britain and their plans for a string of prominent public appearances.

The Lord Chamberlain, who heads the royal household, issued a letter on Monday to senior figures across government and the military setting out the King's position.

The communication stated that the Duke and Duchess had stepped back from representing the sovereign in January 2020 and were no longer functioning members of the royal family.

A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan subsequently revealed the couple's "surprise" at the correspondence, noting it had been delivered to their office only shortly before being released publicly.

Uganda's withdrawal represents a dramatic reversal. Barely two months ago, the country was welcomed as the 26th member of the Invictus community and the first East African nation to join the event at a ceremony held at Chatham House on July 7.

At that London event, Uganda's defence minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka stood alongside the Duke of Sussex to mark the occasion.

Kiwanuka expressed gratitude to Harry for the welcome and praised President Museveni's "visionary leadership," while crediting Kainerugaba himself for "championing our team's entry." The minister described the moment as "a new chapter for our service men and women."

Kainerugaba, who, like Harry, trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, was blunt when asked by about his motivations. "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," he told The Times.

The general has steadily accumulated power since taking command of Uganda's army in 2024 and is broadly regarded as the most likely successor to his 81-year-old father, who has governed the country for four decades.

Since securing a seventh presidential term in January, Museveni has increasingly stepped back, ceding authority to his son.

Uganda's relationship with the British Crown stretches back generations. The country was a British protectorate until achieving independence in 1962, and Queen Elizabeth II made her final visit there in 2007 for the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Kampala. Charles, then Prince of Wales, accompanied her on that trip.

Following the late Queen's death in 2022, President Museveni paid tribute to Charles as "our good friend in the conservation of nature" and later sent warm congratulations upon his coronation, highlighting the "brotherly and cordial relations" between the two nations.

The next Invictus Games, Harry's competition for wounded military personnel, are scheduled for Birmingham in July 2027. The Duke is understood to want the King to formally open the event.