Prince Harry has delivered a defiant speech at the Invictus Games One Year To Go countdown this afternoon.
The Duke of Sussex attended the ceremony solo, after Megan Markle withdrew her participation yesterday evening, hours before the event was set to take place.
The prince soldiered through, a warm smile always plastered across his face, as he competed in pickleball, a Laser Run and wheelchair rugby.
After an action-packed morning, Harry took to the stage to deliver his impassioned speech, once again displaying his love for the competition he founded in 2014.
“What we’ve seen today shows us that, if anything, this is just the beginning,” he told the audience.
“One year from today, the world will come to the great city of Birmingham, for the Invictus Games 2027.
“To bring the Games back to the UK – 13 years after London 2014 – feels incredibly special for all of us.
“Not just because this is where the Invictus journey first began, but because Britain has always understood the importance of service, resilience, and standing together when it matters most.”
Prince Harry delivered a defiant speech at the Invictus Games One Year To Go countdown this afternoon
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The prince noted the “laughter, determination and sweat” on display at today’s countdown event, poignantly adding: “Sport has an incredible way of bringing people together.”
Labour MP Al Carns and effervescent TV presenter Alison Hammond received a well-deserved mention in the speech, after they participated in the Laser Race.
The race saw competitors involved in both sprinting and laser target shooting. While it was unclear who ran out victorious, it seemed Ms Hammond was knocked out.
The Laser Race saw competitors involved in both sprinting and laser target shooting
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The prince also showed his sporting expertise as he sprinted to the finish line
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After the race, Ms Hammond shared a warm embrace with Harry; the presenter left him wide-eyed by her enthusiasm.
As the duke walked away, she even let out a squeamish dance to celebrate her embrace with the prince, while Harry looked back with a smirk on his face.
Concluding his speech, Harry said: “What has struck me walking around the arena today is just how many faces I recognise from those different groups that were part of that original journey back in 2014.”
He ended on a joke, declaring that “some of us have got older… some of us have lost our hair.”
Later, the duke competed in a game of wheelchair rugby, one of the tournament’s most popular sports, where he left presenter Ade Adepitan aghast at his performance
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Harry’s address bookended a heartwarming and positive celebration of the countdown in the National Exhibition Centre.
The prince was reunited with Dave Henson over a game of pickleball. Harry pulled funny faces and shook the former Invictus Games captain’s hand.
Later, the duke competed in a game of wheelchair rugby, one of the tournament’s most popular sports, where he left presenter Ade Adepitan aghast at his performance.
“He did a no-look pass. Did you see it? A no-look pass over his head,” Mr Adepitan declared, astonished.
“I mean, he said to me at the end ‘it was just a throw and hope,’ but I said ‘style it out, style it out,’ that was done on purpose.”
Next summer, Birmingham will welcome over 550 wounded, injured and sick service personnel, veterans and their families from 26 nations.