The charity now provides sport recovery opportunities for servicemen and servicewomen across 23 nations.
But now Richard Eden, the Daily Mail’s Diary Editor, has argued that ‘Harry is no longer the gift to the charity he once was.’
On the latest episode of Palace Confidential, Richard said that when Harry created Invictus it was a ‘brilliant’ move for the prince, as well as for the charity.
‘Anything associated with Harry was great,’ Richard said. ‘He was the most popular member of the royal family and it guaranteed positive publicity.’
However, using the example of Sentebale, a charity the Duke of Sussex founded in 2006, Richard said that is ‘not the case anymore’.
He said: ‘What we saw with Sentebale and what we heard from its chairman Sophie Chandauka was that actually that’s not the case anymore.
‘[Chandauka] said that people and potential sponsors didn’t want to be associated with Sentebale anymore because she claimed Harry had become a “toxic” brand – the same as Meghan.’
Richard Eden, the Daily Mail’s Diary Editor, said Harry has become a ‘toxic’ brand
Richard is joined by Rebecca English, the Daily Mail’s Royal Editor, and host Jo Elvin
Although Richard describes the Invictus Games as a ‘worthy cause’, he questioned whether it should continue to be ‘so closely associated with Harry.’
‘It’s well established,’ Richard said, ‘Do we need him anymore?’
Richard is joined on the hit YouTube show Palace Confidential by Rebecca English, the Daily Mail’s Royal Editor, and host Jo Elvin.
‘It’s an extraordinary situation,’ Jo said. ‘Normally having a royal attached to a charity is a real mark of prestige. How often does that tip into being something quite opposite?
Adding her own thoughts, Rebecca said: ‘Well, we’ve seen it quite recently with Prince Andrew.
‘When he was stripped of his patronages and associations, people were having to quite literally scrub his name off the walls of the sides of buildings and off headed paper because it was quite clear that his name has become so toxic that they didn’t want to be associated with him.
On the question of having a royal associated with your charity, Rebecca said: ‘It is largely a blessing but can also sometimes become a curse.’
‘Do you think that Harry is a curse on Invictus?’ Jo asked.
Rebecca English, the Daily Mail’s Royal Editor, said having a royal associated with your charity is ‘largely a blessing but can also sometimes be a curse
‘I don’t know,’ Rebecca replied. ‘I don’t think I am qualified enough to say.
‘I covered a few of the Invictus Games to start off with when he was a working member of the Royal Family and when I did, he was incredibly popular.
‘There were people practically going down on their knees and thanking him for starting it.
‘But I haven’t covered the Invictus Games since he left as a member of the Royal Family so I cannot tell you what the atmosphere is right now but Richard is right to highlight it because it is a real dilemma for the Royal Family.’
With the Invictus Games set to take place in Birmingham in 2027, Richard said this would continue to be a contentious issue.
‘You would expect members of the Royal Family to be there,’ Richard said. ‘But with Harry involved it makes it very awkward and off putting to them.
‘It’s a tricky question,’ he said.
‘If Harry genuinely cares about [Invictus], he should step back as Patron.’
