Uganda will take part in next year’s Invictus Games after Buckingham Palace reassured its military that the King had no objection, the Ugandan armed forces said. The decision ends a brief withdrawal announcement that had threatened to remove one nation from the veteran sports event promoted by Prince Harry.
Uganda’s military chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, had posted last week that the country would withdraw, saying on social media, "We shall not participate in anything that does not have His Majesty's approval." A phone call between General Kainerugaba and Sir Clive Alderton, the King’s principal private secretary, appears to have resolved the concern.
A spokesman for Uganda’s military said Sir Clive told the chief of defence forces the King had "no problem" with Uganda’s participation and had "encouraged the CDF to proceed with preparations" for the Birmingham games. The spokesman added that General Kainerugaba appreciated the King’s message and clarity from Buckingham Palace and that the Ugandan People’s Defence Force would resume preparations.
It remains unclear whether Buckingham Palace or the Ugandans initiated the call. Uganda had been announced as a participant in July, and the reversal restores the country’s place at the event. Organisers have planned the Invictus Games in Birmingham for injured and veteran service personnel.
The episode had followed a Palace letter clarifying that Prince Harry and Meghan remain non-working members of the royal family, a communication that prompted uncertainty about whether engagements associated with the Sussexes could proceed without the monarch’s explicit blessing. A royal source described the outcome as positive and thanked the Ugandans for their understanding, saying the resolution showed the Palace could address questions about the Sussexes’ status.
With the immediate dispute settled, Uganda will continue its preparations for the Invictus Games. The intervention from Buckingham Palace removes the diplomatic snag and leaves organisers and competitors able to plan with greater certainty ahead of the Birmingham event next year.
