Meghan Markle Unfazed By UK Critics As She Prepares For 2027 Invictus Games Return, Royal Expert Says

LONDON — Meghan Markle is expected to join Prince Harry on a return trip to the United Kingdom for the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, according to a royal commentator, despite ongoing public division over the Duchess of Sussex in Britain.

The prediction follows Harry and Meghan’s recent family visit to Highgrove House, King Charles III’s private residence in Gloucestershire, where the couple met with the king as part of what has been described as an effort toward reconciliation between Harry and the royal family. The visit came as Harry continues preparing for the next edition of the Invictus Games, the international sporting competition he founded in 2014 for wounded, injured and sick military service members and veterans, which is set to take place in Birmingham from July 10 to 17, 2027, marking the first time the Games have returned to the U.K. since the inaugural 2014 London event.

Jennie Bond, a former BBC royal correspondent and longtime commentator on the royal family, said Meghan remains a deeply polarizing figure in Britain but is unlikely to let that criticism keep her away from future public appearances alongside her husband. “Her critics and her fans are equally vocal and passionate,” Bond said, adding that Meghan is likely aware that a significant portion of the British public blames her, at least in part, for Harry’s estrangement from the rest of the royal family.

Bond said that awareness means Meghan will understand that any public appearance tied either to the Invictus Games or to commemorations marking the 30th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death, which also falls in 2027, carries a real risk of renewed public criticism. Even so, Bond suggested Meghan had already signaled her willingness to join Harry at UK events this year before a separate security-related controversy disrupted those plans, and said there is every reason to expect her to attend the Birmingham Games regardless of the backlash she might face.

According to Bond, Meghan’s attendance at the Invictus Games has become something of a fixture for the couple, making her presence at the 2027 edition a near-certainty barring unforeseen circumstances. She noted that Meghan remains well regarded within the broader Invictus community itself, even if her public image in the U.K. more broadly remains contentious. Bond expressed hope that Meghan would be able to attend the Games without facing excessive public criticism, given her standing as Harry’s wife and her personal popularity among Invictus competitors and their families.

Harry has continued to publicly emphasize his commitment to the Birmingham Games as preparations intensify. Following the recent selection of South Korea to host the 2029 Invictus Games in Daejeon, Harry issued a statement reflecting on the broader growth of the Invictus movement since its founding, saying the event has demonstrated the power of sport to support recovery, challenge perceptions of disability, and build a global community rooted in resilience, service and hope. Turning to the 2027 Games specifically, Harry said organizers’ focus has shifted to Birmingham, describing it as the city that helped shape the broader Invictus community.

Speculation over the future of the Birmingham Games flared earlier this year amid reports that the event faced funding uncertainty following the loss of some sponsorship support, including from aerospace giant Boeing. Invictus Games organizers subsequently moved to dispel those concerns, confirming that discussions with Boeing and other partners regarding the Birmingham Games remained active, even as the company has continued its separate support for Invictus editions in Germany and Australia.

The Birmingham Games will be staged at the National Exhibition Centre, with the bid having been backed by the UK government through a funding commitment made via the Office for Veterans’ Affairs. Birmingham was selected over Washington, D.C., in a competitive bidding process, with organizers citing the city’s strong ties to the armed forces community, including its Queen Elizabeth Hospital, which specializes in treating military casualties and hosts the Royal College of Defence Medicine.

Harry and Meghan stepped back from their roles as senior working royals in 2020, a decision that followed public statements from the couple describing tensions within the royal family, and the two have since built an independent life based in Montecito, California, with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Despite that separation from official royal duties, the Invictus Games have remained one of the few consistent threads connecting the couple to public life in the United Kingdom, with Meghan having appeared alongside Harry at previous editions of the Games in cities including Sydney, Düsseldorf and Vancouver-Whistler.

With the 2027 Invictus Games now over a year away, further details on Meghan’s planned involvement, along with broader questions about the extent of any continued reconciliation between Harry and the rest of the royal family, are expected to become clearer as preparations for the Birmingham event continue. Neither Buckingham Palace nor representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have issued formal public comment on Meghan’s specific plans to attend the 2027 Games.