It's well-known that the Invictus Games mean a lot to Prince Harry. The sporting event—which occurs every two years, but had to be postponed from 2020 to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic—was founded by the Duke of Sussex in 2014 when he saw how the "power of sport could help wounded servicemen and women in their recovery—physically, psychologically and socially." (Harry is, of course, a military veteran, having served two tours in Afghanistan and spent a decade in the British Army.) One person who knows exactly how much the event means to Prince Harry: His wife Meghan Markle, who could be seen on the first day of the event fiercely squeezing her husband's hand as he became emotional and bowed his head.
The moment between the two was shared as part of a video honoring the Games, uploaded by Team US' official Invictus social media account:
A post shared by Invictus Team U.S. (@invictusteamus)
A photo posted by on
Later, when Meghan Markle introduced her husband, she made clear how proud she was, saying: "[Harry] has also spent many late nights and early mornings planning for these games to make them as perfect as possible for each of you. I could not love and respect him more and I know that all of you feel the same." She concluded: "He's the founder of the Invictus Games, and the father to our two little ones, Archie and Lili. Please welcome my incredible husband, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex."
Back in 2016, at the opening ceremony of the second Invictus Games, Prince Harry spoke candidly about why he founded the event, saying: "When I travelled back from the battlefield on a plane carrying the body of a Danish soldier and three young Brits, fighting for their lives, I began to understand the real, permanent cost of war. I joined the Army because, for a long time, I just wanted to be one of the guys. But what I learned through serving was that the extraordinary privileges of being a Prince gave me an extraordinary opportunity to help my military family. That's why I had to create the Invictus Games."
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