Prince Harry faces tough dilemma as Invictus Games 2027 host city finalists announced

Prince Harry’s loyalty to the UK could be challenged after the Invictus Games host finalists were announced. The Duke of Sussex will face a ...

Prince Harry’s loyalty to the UK could be challenged after the Invictus Games host finalists were announced.

The Duke of Sussex will face a tough dilemma as the race to host the 2027 Invictus Games begins, with just two contenders in the running - Washington, D.C. and Birmingham. The Invictus Games Foundation revealed the locations of the finalists, meaning that the sports tournament will either be held in Harry’s native England, or in America, which he now calls home with wife Meghan Markle and their two children - Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2.

Harry co-founded the multi-sports event which is exclusively for wounded and injured military personnel, either serving or veterans, while the Invictus Games Foundation helps sick servicemen and women who are struggling with their injuries and mental health. The organisation is close to Harry’s heart, and in a statement on the Invictus Games website, he explained that he was determined to start the games after watching the coffin of a Danish Soldier being loaded aboard an aircraft for repatriation, alongside three injured British soldiers, after he returned from Afghanistan.

The first-ever Invictus Games was held in London in 2014, in a touching gesture to his home country, while the 2016 games were held in Orlando, and in Toronto a year later, which was around the time he and Meghan went public with their relationship. The 2018 event was held in Sydney, Australia, but the games were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. They returned in 2022 at The Hague, and last year’s event was held in Dusseldorf. The next Invictus Games will be held in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada, in February 2025. A decision on the location of the 2027 Invictus Games is expected to be made at the end of July, and it’s not known how much of an influence Harry will have on the decision.

Lord Allen, Chair of the Invictus Games Foundation, said in a statement that the board of trustees were "delighted" with the "strong field of applications" from cities around the world to host the 2027 Invictus Games. "Both cities now shortlisted for 2027 have kept the experiences of the competitors and supporters at their core, building different but hugely exciting bids. We look forward to the next stage of the process and selecting another inspirational iteration of the games over the summer," he explained.

The foundation said that the competition between the cities was fierce, as both had "unique appeal" as venues to host the multi-sports event. The capital of the USA has "outlined several potential venues in and around the city, with a focus on the George Washington University campus, alongside an indicative sports schedule which includes the nine core Invictus Games sports, while the bid from Birmingham "focuses on the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, and draws the connection to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Selly Oak and wider Defence Medical assets in the region."

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