Prince Harry criticises 'weak moral character in the world' in Invictus Games opening speech
The Duke of Sussex, 40, made the remark during his speech at the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games, a multi-sport event for wounded, injured, and sick military personnel, including both active service members and veterans.
He delivered his speech to a crowd of 40,000 at the BC Stadium in Vancouver, Canada, where artists including Katy Perry and Chris Martin performed.
'At this moment, when there is no shortage of crises, no absence of uncertainty, no lack of weak moral character in the world, the values you embody, the way you carry yourselves – not only at the Invictus Games, but each and every day – your courage, your resilience, your humanity, illuminate a path forward for us all,' Prince Harry said.
It comes after Donald Trump said he had no plans to deport Prince Harry from the US adding the royal has 'enough problems' with his wife.
The US President took a swipe at Meghan Markle amid the Duke of Sussex's legal battle over his immigration status.
On Friday, Trump said: 'I don't want to do that. 'I'll leave him alone. He's got enough problems with his wife. She's terrible.'
In Spare, his 2023 memoir, Harry admitted taking cocaine several times as a teenager and experimented with cannabis and mushrooms.
It prompted the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing US think tank, to suggest he had lied on his documentation or could have been given special treatment by Joe Biden's administration when he stepped back from royal duties and relocated to California after 'Megxit'.
The group launched a legal battle against Department for Homeland Security, but in September 2024, the case was closed when a judge ruled that Harry's application would remain private.
Prince Harry also paid tribute to the indigenous people of Canada during his speech, saying: 'I would like to begin by honouring the First Nations, who are hosting this year's Games. Lílwat, Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh.'
Addressing the hundreds of competitors, he added: 'We need you. And we'll always need you.'The Games were born more than a decade ago, from a promise I made to myself.
'A promise to uphold my obligation – a sacred obligation after my own decade and privilege of military service – to do whatever I could to help my fellow brothers and sisters heal, and to champion everything we stand for.
'Over the past decade I've lost count of the times we've heard you tell us that the Invictus Games saved you.
'Respectfully, I disagree. Invictus didn't save you. You saved yourself.'
The 2025 Invictus Games are currently underway in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada, from February 8 to 16, 2025.
This marks the first time the event features winter adaptive sports, including alpine skiing, Nordic skiing and wheelchair curling, alongside traditional sports.
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