Prince Harry Confirms Visit To UK For 10th Anniversary Of Invictus Games

Prince Harry is reportedly set to return to the UK ahead of the 10th-anniversary celebration of the Invictus Games. However, it’s unlikely he’ll be making the trip with his wife, Meghan Markle.

Harry’s scheduled trip makes it the first time he’ll be touching UK soil since February, when he rushed to visit his father, King Charles III, following the news of his cancer diagnosis.

The Duke of Sussex will make a trip to the UK ahead of the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, which is scheduled to be held on May 8.

The Invictus Games is Harry’s multi-sport initiative, first held in 2014, for wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veterans.

A spokesperson for the Invictus Games confirmed that Harry would be taking a reading at the event, with actor Damian Lewis lined up to recite the Invictus poem.

“The Invictus Games Foundation will celebrate 10 years of changing lives and saving lives with a ‘Service of Thanksgiving’ at St Paul’s Cathedral on May 8th,” a statement published on the Games’ social media reads.

“We will be joined by our Patron, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, actor Damian Lewis, and members of the worldwide Invictus Community to mark the occasion,” they added.

According to the Daily Mail, it is unlikely that Harry will make the trip with Meghan as the event will take place two days after their son Archie celebrates his fifth birthday.

The visit is the first time Harry would be touching UK soil since he made a quick dash to see King Charles following news of his cancer diagnosis.

At the time, Harry said that he was “grateful” to have seen his father in person during a brief 24-hour visit and hoped that the diagnosis could have a “reunifying” effect on the Royal Family.

However, at the time, he didn’t visit his brother, Prince William, or his wife, Kate Middleton, as tensions continued to soar between them.

For his scheduled trip in the coming days, It is unclear if he will be visiting her since she revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing preventive chemotherapy.

The Duke of Sussex recently showed off his medals while presenting an award to an Invictus Games alum in a video filmed at the back of his Montecito mansion.

In a video that served as a “special presentation” of the award, Harry paid tribute to his “friend” Sergeant First Class Elizabeth Marks – who he described as a “beacon of inspiration.”

According to the Daily Mail, Sergeant Marks, a four-time Invictus Games gold medalist and five-time Paralympic medalist, suffered bilateral hip injuries while deployed in Iraq in 2010 after joining the military at age 17.

In the video, Harry wore a black jacket and red tie as he donned his Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan, his Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, his Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, and his Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal.

Before presenting his award, Harry gave an emotional tribute to Marks, noting that she epitomizes “courage and determination.”

“I first met Sergeant First Class Elizabeth Marks at the Invictus Games in Orlando 2016, where I presented her with not one, but four gold medals that she’d won in swimming,” Harry said in the video.

He continued, “To me, she epitomizes the courage, resilience, and determination represented across our service community. And this is not just because of her swimming abilities.”

Harry went further to note that Marks has “courageously overcome” several obstacles that have come her way, adding that she has managed to turn “her pain into purpose and led through compassion and willpower, showing others that the impossible is indeed possible.”

Harry’s use of his medals in the video came under scrutiny due to him dropping all military honorary titles in 2020 after he and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals.

According to the Daily Mail, eagle-eyed Royal experts noticed the absence of the coronation medal given to him by his father when he ascended the throne last May.

They suggested that his decision not to wear the coronation medal may have been a snub to the king, as he wasn’t allowed to wear a military uniform for Charles’ coronation.

One royal fan said Harry’s decision was “embarrassing,” claiming the medals looked “ridiculous.”

Amid the criticisms, several defended Harry’s decision to wear his medals, noting that one of them was presented to him because of his acts of service in Afghanistan.