Prince Harry May Bring Major Project to D.C.

Prince Harry's Invictus Games has shortlisted Washington, D.C., alongside just one other possible host city for the 2027 tournament.

The Duke of Sussex's Olympics-style tournament for wounded veterans has won praise from veterans and their families around the world. Birmingham, in England, is currently the other shortlisted city, the official account for the Invictus Games Foundation announced Wednesday on X, formerly Twitter.

Angie M. Gates, Events DC president and chief executive, said in a statement: "It is an incredible honor for Washington, D.C. to be selected as a finalist for the 2027 Invictus Games.

"As the culture capital, Washington, D.C. is a diverse and vibrant community that welcomes meaningful competitive sports that honor our veterans. We are a world-class city united by sports and a top-tier destination, which makes us the ideal host for the Invictus Games 2027."

One factor influencing Harry's decision may be his struggle to secure police protection in Britain.

The duke has twice sued the U.K. Home Office in an effort to get his police bodyguards re-instated and failed on both occasions, while his legal representative has suggested it is not safe for him, Meghan Markle, and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to be in the country.

By contrast, holding the games in Washington, D.C. would make it much easier to secure big names from American politics and cement his status as an advocate for U.S. veterans as well as the British forces community.

Afua Hagan, a prominent U.K. royal expert, told Newsweek she believed Birmingham was a strong contender but could be held back by financial problems.

"I think it is a huge possibility. What could kick it into the long grass is that Birmingham is pretty much bankrupt," she said.

"When they had the Commonwealth Games, it cost the city a lot of money, and it depends [on] how that's going to be funded. I think that's going to be the stickler for it rather than any police protection issues.

"Because it would be ridiculous to think the Met Police would stand by and genuinely let a threat happen to Prince Harry. I don't honestly think that would happen, but I think the stickler could be whether Birmingham can afford it."

Helen Helliwell, chief executive of the Invictus Games 2027 U.K. Bid, said: "We have a truly compelling bid to bring the Games back to the UK, showcasing the best of our Armed Forces communities and delivering on our pledge to make this the best country in the world to be a Veteran.

"As well as delivering an amazing week of the Games Festival at the NEC Birmingham (a Commonwealth Games venue in 2022), we want to use the platform of the Games to improve opportunities for adaptive sport, arts and employment, enabling communities to thrive, both in the run up to the Games and as a legacy from them, across the UK and beyond."

Prince Harry's legal representative said in January 2022: "Prince Harry inherited a security risk at birth, for life. He remains sixth in line to the throne, served two tours of combat duty in Afghanistan, and in recent years his family has been subjected to well-documented neo-Nazi and extremist threats.

"While his role within the Institution has changed, his profile as a member of the Royal Family has not. Nor has the threat to him and his family.

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex personally fund a private security team for their family, yet that security cannot replicate the necessary police protection needed whilst in the U.K. In the absence of such protection, Prince Harry and his family are unable to return to his home."

Update 05/01/24, 11:50 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.

Jack Royston is Newsweek's chief royal correspondent based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

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