Petition questions Prince Harry's motives for Invictus Games in BC

If Prince Harry was expecting a warm welcome to BC for the 2025 Winter Hybrid Invictus Games, he might be disappointed.

A petition questioning his motives for attending the Games has gathered almost 600 signatures.

It went live on Change.org after Prince Harry, who’s also the founder of the Invictus Games Foundation, announced the event will be held in Vancouver and Whistler in 2025.

Wounded, injured, and ill service personnel unite at the Games to compete in sports like rowing, wheelchair basketball, and alpine skiing.

The #InvictusGames are coming to Canada for the first-ever Winter Hybrid Games! #IG25

Vancouver | Whistler 2025

— Invictus Games Foundation (@WeAreInvictus) April 22, 2022

Someone going by the name M. Manners started the petition, alleging the royal is only interested in attending the Games in BC for money and media attention.

Manners said the prince’s announcement of the 2025 Invictus Games showed his involvement “was no longer about the veteran competitors but how much could Harry monetize off them.”

“Since when is it acceptable to profit off the disabled veterans?” asked Manners.

They didn’t say which elements of the speech made them come to that conclusion, but it could have been the prince’s mention of approval from First Nations to host the Games in BC.

“Harry and Meghan never thanked the Canadian taxpayers who paid for their security the last time they were in Canada. They don’t deserve our hard-earned taxpayer money, nor do they deserve to exploit the hurt suffered by the recent finding of unmarked graves,” said Manners.

“This is just another bandwagon for them to jump on.”

One signatory on Change.org said their reason for signing was that they “truly don’t believe these two [Prince Harry and Meghan Markle] are representing change and reconciliation.”

One more stated, “It’s wrong to exploit people for your gain. That’s not service.”

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A signatory asked, “Why did [the Royal Family] remain silent at the discovery of unmarked graves in Kamloops, in Alberta, etcetera? What have they done or how have they helped the Indigenous peoples prior to this?”

And another said, “I do not want them using our Indigenous people for any money-making scheme they have going on, nor my taxpayer money.”

The Invictus Games were held in the Netherlands this year, and they’ll be in Germany before reaching Canada in 2025.

The petition creator was not reachable through Change.org.