Royal watchers say King’s comment about Invictus Games suggests ongoing tension with Prince Harry

The state of King Charles and Prince Harry's relationship is under the microscope again after the monarch dodged a conversation about the Invictus Games with a British athlete who competed there earlier this month. Photo / Getty Images

With Harry reportedly all but estranged from the royal family, his father King Charles made a comment during a recent outing that has caused speculation.

An off-the-cuff moment between King Charles and a British athlete has appeared to provide a huge clue about where his relationship with Prince Harry is at amid years of reported tension.

Earlier this month, Harry was firmly in the spotlight at the Invictus Games – the event he founded back in 2014 – which this year was held in Canada.

Fast-forward to just a couple of days ago, and the King found himself in a meeting with former Army captain and para-sports athlete David Henson at the Imperial College London’s Centre for Injury Studies.

During their conversation, Henson brought up the fact that he’d previously competed at the inaugural Invictus Games himself – but the monarch seemingly refused to engage in the topic of his son’s high-profile event any further, responding with simply: “Fantastic”.

The curious exchange was addressed on The Royals with Roya and Kate podcast, with the hosts, royal editors Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey, describing it as “quite telling”.

The King chatted with British parasport athlete, and former soldier-turned researcher, David Henson during a visit to the Centre for Injury Studies at Imperial College London. Photo / Getty Images

“Now that could have been an opportunity for the King to say ‘Oh yes, they’re marvellous’ or whatever that might be,” recalled Mansey.

“But, he just let that comment go and the conversation continued and the King didn’t pick up on that at all.

“So, I thought that was really interesting - that was an opportunity for the King to acknowledge the Invictus Games with somebody, who was front and centre of it when it first started, and has been a kind of pin-up for rehabilitation and getting up and getting on with his life and doing incredible things despite having life-threatening, life-altering injuries …

“That was really quite telling, the King just sort of didn’t acknowledge the (Invictus) Games at all.”

With the Invictus Games set to return to the UK in 2027, with Birmingham playing host, Nikkhah also weighed in on the likelihood of other royal family members turning up to support the Harry-led event.

Harry and Meghan at the Invictus Games earlier this month. Photo / Getty Images

“When I was talking to a friend of the King’s around the time of Harry’s 40th [last September] and musing on Birmingham in 2027, that friend of the King’s felt that, you know, the King probably would want to go and wouldn’t want to be churlish about it, and would want to show his support for Harry when he’s here.”

However, she added: “But it really depends on how the family dynamic plays out over the next couple of years – as things stand now, it’s unlikely you’d get other members of the royal family there.”

It’s believed to have now been more than a year since Harry last saw his father.

Following the announcement of the King’s cancer diagnosis last February, the Duke of Sussex quickly rushed from the US to the UK in order to meet up with him, although that encounter wound up lasting less than an hour.

He has since returned to the UK a number of times on his own, but did not see the King or any other members of the royal family during those visits.

Prince Harry has reportedly not seen the King in over a year. Photo / Getty Images

However, it’s been widely reported that he is keen to repair his relationship with members of his family, from whom he’s now mostly estranged.

But it won’t be without serious complications, as royal author Robert Hardman previously told the Daily Beast.

“Whatever reconciliation or bridge-building happens, it needs to be a three-way process,” he said.

“People keep asking about the King’s feelings, but William also has to be on board, which adds complexity. It’s tricky, and a situation nobody wants. But whatever the way forward is, it has to work for everybody.”