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By Jack Royston
Chief Royal Correspondent
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Prince Harry got a boost after the U.S. Invictus Games Team disputed a key passage of an upcoming royal biography by an old Sussex nemesis.
Tom Bower's first book about Harry and Meghan Markle sparked a war of words between the two sides and his second, Betrayal, has already triggered a new public argument, with Harry labeling the book "deranged conspiracy and melodrama."
Now though, Harry has the backing of the director of the U.S. Warrior Games team, speaking also on behalf of America's Invictus Games team.
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Among the most inflammatory passages, Bower suggested none of the U.S. wheelchair basketball team were missing limbs, stating they instead had PTSD.
David G. Paschal, director of America's Warrior Games, told Newsweek team members "actually had both visible and invisible impairments, including several competitors with below the knee amputations or lower limb function loss."
He further backed the Invictus Games, saying it helped save the lives of veterans.
Why It Matters
The bad blood between Harry and Meghan and Tom Bower goes back years, in fact, when the couple's supporters spotted Bower at the Invictus Games it some among the Sussex Squad suggested the police should be called.
The claims about Invictus though will have been particularly upsetting for Harry and the backing of the U.S. Invictus team will therefore be a major boost for the prince.
What to Know
Bower wrote: "In an uncanny silence, the eight-man Nigerian scratch squad wheeled themselves onto the court. They faced 22 professionally trained Americans. While two men in the Nigerian team had lost a leg, none of the Americans were limbless. All were apparently suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Throughout the game, there was barely a murmur from the spectators. Halfway through the match, the Sussexes slipped into their seats."
"The American team wheeled themselves off the court into a secluded area," he continued, "and effortlessly they all got up and walked away. None of them appeared to be physically injured."
Paschal said in a statement to Newsweek: "Our Team United States 2025 wheelchair basketball competitors actually had both visible and invisible impairments, including several competitors with below the knee amputations or lower limb function loss.
"Additionally, none of the competitors are professional athletes (a strict eligibility requirement for Team U.S., as we do not allow professional athletes to participate).
"The Invictus Games are designed to ensure that wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans with a wide range of visible and invisible injuries can compete on an equal playing field. Team U.S. fully supports the Invictus Games Foundation’s inclusion of competitors with PTSD, a recognized combat and service-related condition, as invisible wounds can be just as debilitating as visible ones.
"Adaptive sporting events such as the Invictus Games save lives through community and purpose, and Team U.S. recognizes the positive impact of this international competition."
That final line is likely to be particularly well received by Harry who has also argued in the past, including in a lawsuit with The Mail on Sunday, that his work supporting veterans is life saving.
What People Are Saying
A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said in a statement to Newsweek: "Mr Bower’s commentary has long crossed the line from criticism into fixation.
"This is someone who has publicly stated, 'the monarchy in fact depends on actually obliterating the Sussexes from our state of life,' language that speaks for itself. He has made a career out of constructing ever more elaborate theories about people he does not know and has never met.
"Those interested in facts will look elsewhere; those seeking deranged conspiracy and melodrama know exactly where to find him."
A spokesperson for the Invictus Games Foundation said: "It is disappointing to see The Times give prominence to commentary that appears driven by a long-established agenda rather than a genuine understanding of the Invictus Games and the community it supports.
"The Foundation exists to support the recovery and rehabilitation of wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans from around the world.
"Attempts to question the legitimacy of competitors or diminish the experiences of those living with both physical injuries and invisible wounds such as PTSD are deeply disrespectful to the men and women the Games were created for. The focus should remain where it belongs—on the courage, recovery and camaraderie of those who have served."
What Happens Next
Betrayal: Power, Deceit and the Fight for the Future of the Royal Family by Tom Bower is due to be published in the United Kingdom by Blink Publishing on March 26.
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