Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Reportedly Have a Lot Riding on the Invictus Games Anniversary Event

The Invictus Games anniversary event is a ‘good starting point’ for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to ‘repair relations’ with royals and beyond.

Celebrating the anniversary of the Invictus Games is more than a chance for Prince Harry to reflect on 10 years of the adaptive sports competition. It’s also reportedly a meaningful step toward image rehabilitation for him and Meghan Markle. But it’s complicated, to say the least.May 8, 2024, is poised to be a big day in the Sussex calendar. According to Express, who has seen a copy of the official St. Paul’s Cathedral schedule, the Invictus Games anniversary event is set for that Wednesday at 5 p.m. local time in London, England.

The anniversary of the competition, which the Duke of Sussex, 39, founded in 2014, is being viewed as a “gentle push,” for him and the Duchess of Sussex, 42, to “start weaving their way back into Britain’s consciousness,” a source told the outlet. “This event is being seen as a very important part of Harry and Meghan’s rehabilitation,” the insider said. “It’s viewed as an important event that is almost on par with what a working royal would undertake.”

Harry and Meghan haven’t been working royals since 2020, when they left royal life and relocated to Montecito, California, where they live with their two children, Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2. “It’s a worthy cause where Harry is the key ambassador,” they continued. “And it will be a good starting point for the Sussexes to repair relations with the royal family and the British people at the same time.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are reportedly listed as guests. Harry, who founded the games in 2014, is scheduled to speak. (Prince William and Kate Middleton are not expected to attend the service.) According to the source, the anniversary event is going to be difficult for Harry and Meghan to navigate. Sure, they want to patch things up with the royal family. But they also know it may not be the best time to do so.

“Harry and Meghan are very keen to mend the relationship with his family,” the insider said. “But they know that now might not be the right time, especially in light of Kate’s cancer announcement.” The Princess of Wales, 42, is currently in the “early” stages of preventative chemotherapy after tests from her abdominal surgery found cancer. She announced her diagnosis in a rare video statement on March 22, 2024.

“They [the Sussexes] are happy to wait until the time is right before working on mending fences and building bridges,” the source said. If the timing isn’t right, “Meghan might have to sit this one out until the feeling among the public indicates that it is the right time to return.”