Prince Harry urged to 'step down' from Invictus Games role as major update announced

Prince Harry is set to return to the UK next week to celebrate a decade of the Invictus Games, ahead of the event's move to Canada next year.

However, with the Duke's role in the Games under increasing scrutiny, organisers have revealed that only two cities - Washington DC in the US and Birmingham in the UK - are in contention to host the 2027 event.

A final decision on the location is expected in the coming weeks, but it's now certain that the Games will return to a city that has previously hosted them.

Lord Allen, Chair of the Invictus Games Foundation, expressed his delight at the strong field of applications for the 2027 Games, stating: "Both cities now shortlisted for 2027 have kept the experiences of the competitors and supporters at their core, building different but hugely exciting bids.

"We look forward to the next stage of the process and selecting another inspirational iteration of the games over the summer."

The news comes amid reports that approximately 2,000 ex-military personnel have departed the games, arguing that the event has "lost its original meaning". The Invictus Games were initially established by Harry in 2014 to provide support for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans.

Some are also reportedly disgruntled with Meghan Markle's involvement, claiming it is becoming "too royal". Despite these alleged appeals, one PR expert believes Harry will not consider abandoning his project, reports the Mirror.

Ryan McCormick said: ""Harry had no qualms about being honoured as a 'Legend of Aviation' in January so I don't believe he'll heed calls to step down from the Invictus Games. " Ryan did suggest that stepping down could be beneficial for Harry, though.He added: "If The Duke did, however, and said it was out of respect to veterans, it could be a sizeable boost of positive PR.".

Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily Showbiz newsletter here.