Prince Harry’s Latest Parenting Decision Has To Be a Speedy One — & Princess Diana Must Be On His Mind

The Invictus Games are a great point of pride for Prince Harry. In 2014, he founded the Olympics-like biennial tournament for wounded veterans. The 10th anniversary of the competition that has helped servicemembers and their families worldwide is being held in London at St. Paul’s Cathedral, and it’s fast approaching.

While Prince Harry will almost definitely be there for the big celebration, it’s likely his family — another great point of pride for him — will not be. The momentous ceremony is set for next week, and the Duke of Sussex has to decide whether his wife Meghan Markle and their kids Prince Archie, 4 and Princess Lilibet, 2 will join him in the U.K.

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It would undoubtedly be so special for him to have his family there for such a meaningful event. Especially since it will be on May 8 — just two days after Prince Archie turns 5. Plus, despite the tensions in the royal family, you would think it would be nice for everyone to see each other face-to-face amid all the recent health struggles. Wouldn’t King Charles III want to see his grandkids in person after receiving his cancer diagnosis? Wouldn’t it be nice for Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis to see their little cousins after a hard start to the year with their mom Kate Middleton undergoing cancer treatment?

You would think so. But — if Prince Harry’s damning memoir is any indication — being a member of the British royal family is far from a fairytale. And it would take more than a special ceremony and some health scares to truly bring the estranged family members back together.

Even if things were peachy, it’s hard to believe Prince Harry will bring his son and daughter to London for the Invictus Games given his latest legal loss. The Duke of Sussex has been fighting the U.K. court system, vying for heightened security for his family should they visit Britain. The courts, however, keep denying his bids and his offer to pay for any increased security himself because he and Markle stepped down as senior members of the royal family.

And despite how nice it would be to have his family by his side on May 8, we know Prince Harry must have his mom Princess Diana on his mind. He must be wondering, “If she had increased security, would she be alive today?” Such a tragedy must always weigh on him, especially when it comes to anything involving the safety of his family.

“The U.K. is my home,” Prince Harry said in a statement to the courts last year. “The U.K. is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live at the moment in the United States. That cannot happen if there is no possibility to keep them safe when they are on U.K. soil.”

“I can’t put my wife in danger like that, and given my experiences in life, I’m reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too,” he continued, likely referencing his mother’s tragic death.

And so as he counts down the days to the Invictus Games, and he thinks about who he wants by his side on the podium, we have no doubt his mom’s memory is weighing heavily on him.

Before you go, check out 20 precious photos that prove Princess Diana’s commitment to motherhood over royalty.

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