King Charles
King Charles said he had 'no problem' with Uganda's participation in the games Facebook

Uganda will compete at the Invictus Games in Birmingham in 2027 after a senior royal aide conveyed that King Charles had 'no problem' with the country's involvement, following a withdrawal announced just days earlier.

The Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) confirmed on Monday that General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the country's Chief of Defence Forces, had spoken by phone with Sir Clive Alderton, principal private secretary to the King and Queen.

Alderton relayed that the King 'has no problem with Uganda's participation in the Invictus Games' and encouraged Kainerugaba to press ahead with preparations.

General Kainerugaba, eldest son of President Yoweri Museveni and widely seen as a potential successor to his father, 'appreciated the King's message and clarity provided by Buckingham Palace', UPDF spokesperson Chris Magezi said.

Uganda will now resume work on sending a team of wounded and injured personnel to the Games. The decision reverses the withdrawal announced by Kainerugaba last week.

Sudden U-Turn After Royal Letter

The reversal follows a turbulent week for organisers. Uganda had been unveiled in July as the 26th nation to join the Invictus community, with Prince Harry appearing alongside the country's defence minister, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, at a London event marking the expansion.

Last week, however, Kainerugaba announced on social media that Uganda would withdraw, saying the country would 'not participate in anything that does not have His Majesty's approval'.

He said involvement could be 'construed as being opposed to His Majesty King Charles III', adding that he wished to avoid the perception of taking sides.

His post came shortly after a letter sent on the King's behalf to senior UK government and military figures, reiterating that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are private citizens rather than working royals and will not use their Royal Highness styles for official duties.

The letter appeared to trigger fresh speculation about tensions within the Royal Family.

Kainerugaba, who trained at Sandhurst as Harry did, later told the Times he had detected 'factions in the Ministry of Defence that support that Harry-Meghan nonsense' and felt compelled to 'quash it straight away', saying: 'I support the monarch. Period.'

Palace Call Clears Path for Uganda

The conversation with Alderton was followed by Uganda's decision to resume preparations for the Games. According to the UPDF, the King was 'moved by the general's sensitivity to his opinion' but content for Uganda to take part in the Games, which are a sporting event founded by Prince Harry and separate from official royal duties.

Rob Owen, chief executive of the Invictus Games Foundation, welcomed the decision. 'We welcome the news that Uganda has confirmed it will continue to be part of the Invictus community and participate in the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027, now less than 300 days away,' he said.

He added that Uganda had joined a 'growing movement' supporting recovery for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans worldwide. The episode highlights how questions over royal status became a factor in Uganda's decision over participation in the Games.

A letter clarifying royal titles, a general's public statement and a subsequent Palace conversation preceded Uganda's decision to reverse its position on the Games. The sequence highlights how questions over royal status became part of the debate over Uganda's participation.

A single letter on titles, a general's public statement and one brief phone call were enough to put a nation's participation in doubt, and then resolve it.

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