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DRAMA-LOVING Harry and Meghan forced the king to step in and save the Invictus Games from becoming a farce, an expert has said.

Uganda U-turned on its decision to shun Prince Harry’s Invictus Games after King Charles intervened with a phone call.

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The country pulled out of the event last week while the Sussexes engaged in a war of words with Buckingham Palace after their return to the UK.

General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the country’s military chief, slammed the drama between the Sussexes and the palace as “Meghan and Harry nonsense.”

It stemmed from a letter issued on the King’s behalf, which Harry, 41, and Meghan, 45, took issue with, clearly laying out the couple’s status as “private citizens” in the UK.

Royal expert Phil Dampier explained the King’s intervention to bring Uganda back into the Invictus Games was likely an effort to keep tensions with his son under control.

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Mr Dampier said: “I think they’ve [the palace] nipped it in the bud, fairly successfully.

“There might have been a danger of a domino effect where other countries pulled out. The whole thing could become a bit farcical.”

Uganda had insisted it pulled out of the games because of its loyalty to King Charles.

Posting on X, Kainerugaba vowed not to participate in Harry’s games for wounded personnel and veterans without “His Majesty’s approval.”

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He wrote: “In order not to be construed as being opposed to His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom, whom we deeply revere, Uganda hereby withdraws from the Invictus Games.

“We shall not participate in anything that does not have His Majesty’s approval.”

The monarch has since smoothed the waters however, with a statement posted to X today by Kainerugaba saying Uganda would be taking part – citing a telephone call with King Charles.

According to the military chief the King provided clarity on the unfolding Harry and Meghan drama.

The country’s statement read: “In the telephone conversation, General Kainerugaba appreciated the King’s message and clarity provided by Buckingham Palace on the subject, promising that the UPDF would resume preparations to participate in the upcoming games.”

Sources close to the King said today’s resolution is an example of the system working as it should following The Lord Chamberlain’s “Megxit Means Megxit” letter.

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But, royal expert Phil Dampier said there will likely be more drama to come, with the King forced to play whack-a-mole to keep the Sussexes’ antics under control.

Mr Dampier said: “They’ve forced the King’s hand.

“Before any other countries pulled out and before it became a big drama, they’ve managed to negotiate and placate the Ugandans.

“Harry will be pleased that they haven’t pulled out, and they’ll [the palace] be glad that it hasn’t escalated.”

He added: “I think this will be the first of possibly many situations where they try and nip something in the bud before it gets out of control and becomes too divisive.

“I can see that happening quite a lot with Harry and Meghan—they do tend to “start an argument in an empty room.’”

When asked if the King’s intervention signalled a cooling off of the tension between the Sussexes and the palace, Mr Dampier said it was unlikely.

He did, however, explain that the King may work to keep things on an even keel, and may attend the opening of the Invictus Games – something Harry has been asking for for weeks.

Mr Dampier said: “He must be considering going to the Invictus Games. I think that’s the clearest indication I get from this. This is a firm indicator that the King might go along with it.

“The fact that they have made the effort to smooth this over indicates to me that it’s more likely than not that he will go to them and open them.

“At the end of the day, putting Harry to one side, these are veterans and he [The King] is head of the armed forces.

“They want the Invictus Games to be a success, so it’s a very difficult balancing act.”

However, over the course of the coming year, our expert said, the King would be forced to keep putting out fires that spring up in the wake of Harry and Meghan’s return to the UK.

Mr Dampier explained that the Sussexes are likely to continue creating drama for the crown, which could serve to further worsen relations between Harry and his dad.

He said: “It is going to be a week-by-week thing, handling it delicately. The courtiers are going to have their work cut out for them, trying to make sure that Harry and Meghan don’t get the sort of “half-in, half-out” status that the late Queen didn’t want them to have.

“At the same time, they can’t control everything they do. They acknowledge that he’s going to do his Invictus Games, his other charities, and pop up here and there.

“It’s certainly going to be a very difficult situation to handle, and it will need all the diplomatic skills of the courtiers around the King.”

Mr Dampier added: What would be best for all concerned is a period of restraint and silence from Harry and Meghan—not complaining about things, not blaming the letter the King wrote, but just getting on with what they want to do and privately trying to heal the rift.

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“Unfortunately, they seem to be incapable of doing that. They just want to be the center of attention and can’t leave it alone.

“Like posting this video of their family—either they want privacy or they don’t. If they want privacy, why post videos of your family? They just want to have their cake and eat it.”


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Monday 14 September

Gorica

1 – 1

Live 75′

Varaždin

Como

1 – 0

Live HT

Parma

Torino

0 – 1

Live HT

Roma

Bodø/Glimt

0 – 0

Live 33′

Sandefjord

Djurgården

0 – 0

Live 33′

GAIS

Ypsonas

0 – 0

Live 32′

Aris Limassol

Kayseri

1 – 0

Live 33′

İstanbulspor

Monday 14 September

U Cluj

3 – 0

L1

Oţelul

Sunday 13 September

Flamengo

2 – 1

SEA

Corinthians

Famalicão

1 – 1

PRL

Sporting

Real Sociedad

0 – 3

PRD

Atlético

Mirassol

2 – 2

SEA

Vitória

Sassuolo

3 – 2

SEA

Juventus

Standings currently unavailable.