Prince Harry has been out and about making several appearances over the last few months as he promotes the 2025 Invictus Games.
The Duke of Sussex has attended events in New York City, London, Johannesburg, as well as Vancouver where the Invictus Games will be held in February. Leading up to the Games, there have been several announcements and the latest one has some thinking Harry, who still seems to be in constant competition with the royal family, is sending a message to his father King Charles.
Prince Harry has commissioned one of his Montecito neighbors, Katy Perry, to perform at the opening night of the 2025 Invictus Games.
The announcement posted on X reads: “Buckle up because we’re beyond excited to announce that the one and only, multi-platinum global pop superstar, Katy Perry will be joining GRAMMY-Award Nominated, multi-platinum artist Noah Kahan, multi-talented musician and songwriter Nelly Furtado for a truly epic Opening Ceremony, with one more global superstar to come. Known for her iconic hits like “Roar,” “Firework,” and “Dark Horse,” experience these goosebump-worthy moments IRL!”
Perry will be the biggest star to ever perform at the Games, but not everyone thinks she’s a great pick. Sky News commentator Rita Panahi and To Di For Daily podcast host Kinsey Schofield discussed Harry’s decision to tap Perry for the event.
When asked if the “California Girls” singer was a good choice, Schofield replied with a recent headline from the New York Post saying: “Why Katy Perry is 2024’s biggest pop flop yet as generic comeback trashed for having no personality.”
Panahi then injected: “Well we gave her a very good run here in Australia, she performed at our biggest sporting event, the AFL Grand Final. I think she got paid a fortune to perform at that.” The commentator then mocked the selection for the 2025 event asking: “What are we in 2017? Why is Katy Perry the headline act?”
The star previously performed for King Charles
Harry’s decision to have Perry perform at the Games he co-founded has raised eyebrows for another reason as some think the prince was trying to send a message to his father.
In 2023, Perry attended King Charles’ coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey and later performed at the Coronation Concert outside Windsor Castle. Many thought Perry did so to finally show whose side she was on following years of rumors that she wasn’t a fan of Meghan Markle. Those reports surfaced after the Sussexes’ royal wedding when the “Fireworks” artist was asked if she liked the duchess’s Givenchy gown.
Perry told Entertainment Tonight: “I would have done one more fitting. I’m never not going to tell the truth! One more fitting.”
She then compared Meghan’s dress to the Alexander McQueen gown the Princess of Wales wore when she married Prince William in 2011 and gushed: “Kate, Kate, Kate won. Kate won!”
However, Meghan and Harry attended Perry’s last residency show at Resorts World in Las Vegas in November 2023, so they seemed to have put any bad blood behind them.
