Prince Harry Opens Up About Why the First Invictus Games Speech He Gave Left Him "Shaking"

Prince Harry revealed that the first-ever Invictus Games in 2014 made him more nervous than any other royal engagement he's had.

The Duke Of Sussex Attends Commonwealth Youth Roundtable
(Image credit: WPA Pool)

  • Even though he's been in the spotlight since the day he was born, Prince Harry still gets nervous from time-to-time.
  • According to The Mirror, Harry revealed that the one royal engagement that made him really nervous over the years was the first-ever Invictus Games in 2014. 
  • The royal revealed that, just before he gave his speech at the opening ceremony, he was so nervous he was "shaking."

You might think that growing up in the spotlight like a royal would give you some immunity to stage fright and public speaking-related nerves, but you would be wrong.

Prince Harry has completed countless royal engagements and appearances over the years, but he recently revealed the one that brought on a total case of nerves: The first-ever Invictus Games in 2014.

Harry explained, per The Mirror:

"Nerves, nerves, about everything. The whole planning, whether it was going to come together, whether people were going to turn up, whether we were going to fill seats. The weather because the opening ceremony was outdoors and and selfishly I guess, my speech.

"On the actual night we had the podium right in front of all of the competitors and I could just see all of their faces. They started chanting and I was so nervous, I was shaking. I knew I had a certain window to be able to get my words out and we were also running behind so I rushed it and it's probably one of the worst speeches I've ever given."

Invictus Games - Opening Ceremony

(Image credit: Dave J Hogan)

Luckily, the speech was a huge success, so Harry didn't need to worry after all. Watch it for yourself below:

Prince Harry's speech at the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games - YouTube Prince Harry's speech at the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games - YouTube
Watch On

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Contributing Editor at Marie Claire

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.