Latest news with #WeAreInvictus
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Prince Harry Shares a Special Gift with World War II Veteran Ahead of His 100th Birthday
As the U.K. celebrates VE Day this week, Prince Harry is sending his own special thanks to a fellow military veteran. Private Joseph Hammond, a World War II veteran from Ghana, was honored by the Duke of Sussex ahead of his 100th birthday on Saturday. Hammond shared in a May 7 post on X that he met ambassadors from the Invictus Games, which Harry founded, and received a related gift. 'It was a great honour to welcome the @WeAreInvictus team to Ghana, just ahead of my birthday this Saturday!' Hammond wrote. 'I was honoured to receive the Invictus Medal Coin from #PrinceHarry." In return, Hammond said that he gifted Prince Harry with a copy of his memoir, "in recognition of his unwavering commitment to veterans' welfare.' Hammond first met Prince Harry in 2019 when the royal family hosted an event to honor veterans from the British Commonwealth. Hammond served as a mechanic in Myanmar — then known as Burma — during the Second World War, fighting alongside British troops. 'This man, especially, Prince Harry, I glued myself to him because he is also a soldier, he's been to Afghanistan, and we spoke about the military, my battalion,' he said at the time. 'We exchanged ideas. It was wonderful.' The following year, Hammond embarked on a grueling 14-mile walk to raise money for frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. He later received a letter from Prince Harry praising his efforts. "Even at '95 years young,' I imagine it was not an easy task,' Harry wrote. 'However, given the service and selflessness you have demonstrated throughout your life, it does not surprise me that you would take on a challenge such as this – and that you wanted to walk even more miles. As you said yourself, it is amazing!' Harry also sent Hammond the 'warmest wishes' from himself and his wife, Meghan Markle, noting that it was a privilege to have met his fellow veteran the year prior. 'It was an honour and a pleasure to meet you at the Field of Remembrance in London last year,' he said, adding that Hammond had set a 'fine example to the world.' This week, the British royal family has attended several celebrations in honor of the 80th anniversary of VE Day, which marks the end of World War II. On Monday, May 5, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and more working royals attended a military procession and aerial flypast to kick off the festivities. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Prince George also marked the event with a royal first: attending a tea party for World War II veterans at Buckingham Palace. The Prince and Princess of Wales' eldest son follows his father as second in line to the throne. At the tea party, he similarly mirrored his dad's role, sitting beside him just as he often does at public events (including Aston Villa soccer matches!) and joining both his parents in greeting and thanking the gathered veterans. A palace insider previously spoke with PEOPLE about William and Kate's approach to raising George as future king, calling it "a massive balancing act." "William and Kate are doing the right thing, protecting him so he can have as normal a childhood as possible, but he's also dipping into duties as a future monarch," the insider said. "He's getting firsthand experience of what it's like to be a royal and a monarch and firsthand experience of being a normal boy." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Harry attends Invictus Games closing ceremony in Whistler
The Duke of Sussex joined athletes from Team UK at the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in Canada. The games' founding patron attended several events throughout the week, including an indoor rowing event on Sunday where he was joined by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Earlier in the week, Harry joined friends and family of Team UK at a nail-biting wheelchair rugby match where Britain took home a silver medal. The closing ceremony also marked the official handover to the Invictus Games' 2027 host Birmingham. Time for the Closing Ceremony for the #InvictusGames Vancouver Whistler 2025! #IG25 💛🖤 — Invictus Games Foundation 💛🖤 (@WeAreInvictus) February 17, 2025 Harry has been involved with the Invictus Games – a sporting event for injured, sick and wounded service personnel – since it was launched in 2014. The duke also received a special thank you from Mr Trudeau during the closing ceremony. 'To the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, without whom these Invictus Games would never have happened,' he told the cheering crowd. 'You are the one who turned this incredible idea into a reality. 'As someone you roped in early in my time as Prime Minister, I can testify to the energy, the dedication, the commitment this man has to you and to this ideal.' UK captains Stephen 'Hoops' Hooper, Neil Thomas and Gemma Barnes received the official flag to signify the exchange from Whistler and Vancouver to Birmingham. Highlights of the games included a proposal from British army veteran James Cairns to girlfriend Hannah Wild on the first day of the wheelchair basketball. More than 60 UK veterans attended the first-ever winter games in Whistler and Vancouver. Mr Hooper, an RAF veteran, said he had spent an 'awesome' week in Whistler and Vancouver. 'From proposals to PBs, we've enjoyed stunning scenery and made memories to last a lifetime,' he said. 'We arrived in Canada full of anticipation – we leave stronger, braver, more resilient and closer than ever to our recovery. We are proud to bring Games home to Birmingham in '27.' Minister for Veterans and People Al Carns said he was already looking to the journey ahead. 'Many of us, especially those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, have come back to Birmingham for treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, playing a key role in their recovery,' he said. 'For them, to return to Birmingham, and to take part in the next games, will complete their journey to recovery. 'The Invictus Games is not just about courage, it's about the continuation of service for individuals who are given the opportunity to once again serve and represent a country'.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Meghan Markle Shares Candid Family Story in Unplanned Speech About Prince Harry at Invictus Games Reception
Meghan Markle gave a heartfelt introduction to Prince Harry just hours after the couple touched down in Canada for the 2025 Invictus Games. On Friday, Feb. 7, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, took the stage to give an unscripted speech in Vancouver, Canada, at a welcome reception for athlete and their friends and families. The Invictus Games has returned for the next chapter in the international sporting event that celebrates wounded, injured and sick service members and veterans. It takes place in Vancouver and Whistler from Feb. 8 until Feb. 16. In a clip of the opening night shared on X by an attendee, Meghan gushed about her return to Canada before honoring her husband, Harry, 40. "I was not planning on speaking tonight," Meghan said. "We just arrived a couple of hours ago and I touched Canadian soil and I went, 'feels like home.' "We are so excited and we also recognize most of you are probably so exhausted from how much travel you've done, how much adrenaline you have pumping, how excited you are for what is going to be one of the most outstanding, memorable, unforgettable, and connected weeks probably for you and your families," she continued. What a beautiful welcome to the competitors and their loved ones at the Family and Friends Reception at the Nation's Home for #IG25! It's tradition for all the Participating Nations to come together before the Opening Ceremony of the #InvictusGames and share a meal, laugh and… — Invictus Games Foundation 💛🖤 (@WeAreInvictus) February 8, 2025 Related: Meghan Markle to Join Prince Harry at Invictus Games in Show of Support: 'There Is No Separation' "We are just thrilled to be here and I would be remiss if I didn't take the opportunity to introduce someone who means a lot to me and I know means quite a lot to all of you," she added, speaking of Prince Harry. "You will see him throughout this week," Meghan said. "You will see him at the games, you will see him probably curling with you and cheering you on at wheelchair basketball." The Duchess joked that Harry will take part in sports that she would "never do" to show his support for those taking part in the games as she built excitement for the days ahead. She revealed that in the period leading up to the event, he had been juggling being an actively involved father to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, while eagerly preparing for the sports tournament. "With big rush in the morning and getting ready for school and packing the lunchboxes and making breakfast and my husband is in all of that with all of us," Meghan said. "And then he'll be on his phone, and Archie will be like, 'Papa, why are you on your phone?' and he says, 'Because it's Invictus, I'm getting ready for Invictus.'" "It means so much to him," Meghan shared. "You are his family just as we are his family. And I hope you recognize how much of his heart he has poured into every single beat that has gotten all of you to this week, that's going to be spectacular. "I need you to know that, how much it means to him and how much each of you mean to him. It is my entire pleasure and complete honor to introduce to the stage my husband, the father of our very sweet, excited children who are cheering you on from California, Prince Harry, founder of the Invictus Games, the Duke of Sussex." The attendees applauded as Prince Harry entered the stage, embracing Meghan and sharing a quick kiss before approaching the podium. Addressing the crowd, Harry said, 'What a beautiful sight.' 'Are you all tired?" he asked as the crowd shouted out. "Team Canada's not tired!' The appearance marked their first official public appearance together in nearly six months, when the duo visited Colombia for a tour that included salsa dancing, drumming and practicing Spanish as they promoted causes such as safe online spaces, military community and female empowerment. They have since made separate outings and were spotted supported wildfire relief efforts together following the Los Angeles tragedy in January. Meghan, 43, and Prince Harry, 40, are regulars at the Invictus Games, which Harry founded in 2014. A former British army captain, Harry was inspired to start the event after returning from Afghanistan with injured allies and witnessing the U.S. Armed Forces' Warrior Games in 2013. Meghan made her debut at the event in 2017 — which doubled as the couple's first official joint appearance after a year of dating — when the Invictus Games were held in Toronto, where she lived at the time while filming the show Suits. Following cycles in London (2014), Orlando (2016), Toronto (2017) and Sydney (2018), the Hague (when COVID-19 pushed the event back to 2022) and Düsseldorf (2023), the upcoming cycle in Canada will be the first time the sports tournament has returned to a previous host country. The Vancouver-Whistler Games will also mark a new chapter for the competition, as winter sports — including alpine skiing, snowboarding, curling and skeleton — will be included for the first time. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! In February 2024, Meghan and Prince Harry visited British Columbia for the Invictus Games Vancouver-Whistler's One Year to Go celebrations. They checked out the Winter Training Camp, and Harry tried some of the sports out himself. Dominic Reid, the outgoing CEO of the Invictus Games Foundation, praised Prince Harry's dedication to the event, telling PEOPLE that he has "created extraordinary opportunities" for veterans and service members, making them feel "seen, heard, and cared for." Read the original article on People
