Prince Harry 'hopeful' King Charles will be by his side at the Invictus Games

Prince Harry 'hopeful' King Charles will be by his side at the Invictus GamesThe Duke of Sussex recently reunited with his father during a rare visit to the UK

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Prince Harry is planning to extend an “olive branch” to King Charles III in the form of an invitation to join him at the Invictus Games in 2027, it has been reported.

It comes after the Duke of Sussex brought his family, including Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lillibet, to the UK to reunite with the King earlier this year.

The visit marked the first time in over four years that King Charles was reunited with his grandchildren, who are now aged seven and four respectively.

Several reports suggest that Harry is hopeful that his father will accept an invitation to appear at the event, which will take place in Birmingham in July 2027.

The first ever Invictus Games took place in 2014 in London, and next year will mark its return to the UK.

Charles and Harry in happier times during the inaugural Invictus Games in 2014PA Archive

The Mail on Sunday quoted a source as saying that the duke, who stepped down as a working member of the royal family in 2020 alongside Meghan, is “hopeful his father will set aside their differences to attend the Invictus Games and support veterans”.

"The royals have always been hugely supportive of Invictus and proud of what Harry has achieved in that arena. This is one olive branch from him which might be reciprocated," the source continued.

Another source was quoted by The Mirror as saying: “Harry’s intention is two fold. He would love the King’s support at the Games, while having his father by his side would also add considerable weight to his argument for security for his family to accompany him on the trip. “

But royal experts appear skeptical that Harry’s wishes will come to fruition.

Matt Wilkinson, royal editor of The Sun, said during an appearance on Hello! magazine’s podcast, A Right Royal Podcast, that he does not think the King will be attending the event next year.

He said: “I think Invictus is a big event for Harry. I think there was only one decision. It was going to Birmingham and Harry wanted to bring his whole family down here. He wants to sit there with the Royal Family, in the stands, but that's very optimistic.”

Prince Harry at the Invictus ‘1 Year To Go’ event at the National Exhibition Centre on July 10 in BirminghamGetty

He added: “Who knows what could happen next week? If you want an answer on that, looking at my crystal ball, I don't think The King will go to Invictus next summer.

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“I might be wrong, but William definitely won't. Camilla definitely won't. You might get the defence secretary there, the prime minister, but you won't get The King.”

Harry’s relationship with his father and the rest of the royal family has been fraught over the last six years. He has met with Charles just a handful of times since he and Meghan stepped down from royal duties and moved to California with their children.

However, the Duke’s family’s most recent reunion with the King marked a significant shift in their relationship.

According to Vanity Fair, arrangements for the meeting were made in secret and orchestrated by the King himself. It reports that not even Prince William and Kate Middleton were told that the meeting was going ahead.

The publication quoted a source close to the Sussexes as saying: “The King wanted to see Harry and the children. A time was agreed for the Sussexes to come to Highgrove on Friday afternoon, and it was uncharacteristically last-minute for the King. Everyone was sworn to secrecy so that the meeting could remain private.”

But Harry’s relationship with William remains broken and there are no plans for estranged brothers to meet in the future.