Prince Harry's Invictus Games suffer huge loss ahead of UK return

Prince Harry has lost a key ally in his Invictus Games ahead of the sport event’s grand return to the U.K.

The Duke of Sussex’s close friend and fellow veteran JJ Chalmers has stepped down as a trustee after just two years, the Daily Mail reported on August 29.

The news comes as the Invictus Games — meant for wounded, injured, and sick military personnel — prepare for its eighth event in Birmingham, U.K., marking the first time it’s being held there since its inauguration in 2014.

Chalmers, 38, is a former Royal Marines reservist and Invictus gold medallist who also became a familiar face on Strictly Come Dancing in 2020. When he first joined the board, he called the Games’ “transformational power” the “catalyst in my recovery” after life-changing injuries in Afghanistan. In 2011, he was caught in a roadside bomb blast that killed two Marines, leaving him with severe injuries to his arms and hands.

Reflecting only two months ago, JJ credited the Games for shaping his career as a broadcaster and speaker, saying, “none of it would have been possible without the Invictus Games.” But growing commitments at work and at home as a father of two led him not to extend his term. “He’ll continue to work in an ambassadorial role for Invictus,” Daily Mail’s Stephanie Takyi assured.

The change comes as Harry’s other charity, Sentebale, faces tensions following accusations of bullying — claims dismissed by the Charity Commission but still stirring controversy.