Harry said becoming a parent had added ‘another emotional layer’ to his view of the games.
19 April 2022
The Duke of Sussex has said he “can’t wait” to take his children to the Invictus Games in the future.
Harry, who founded the event for injured servicemen and women in 2014, has been attending this year’s games in The Hague, The Netherlands, with the Duchess of Sussex.
It was their first public appearance together on this side of the Atlantic in two years.
Speaking to People magazine, the duke, 37, said he was a “proud papa” after 10-month-old Lilibet took her first steps a few days ago, and “can’t wait” to take her and Archie, two, to future events.
“I showed Archie a video of wheelchair basketball and rugby from the Invictus Games in Sydney, and he absolutely loved it,” he said.
“I showed him how some were missing legs and explained that some had invisible injuries, too,” he added.
“Not because he asked, but because I wanted to tell him.
“Kids understand so much, and to see it through his eyes was amazing because it’s so unfiltered and honest.”
Harry also told the magazine becoming a parent had added “another emotional layer” to his view of the games, as he thought about his own desire to leave the army before starting a family, to spare them the “heartache” of separation and the fear of him coming home injured.
He said: “Every member of the Invictus community has experienced varying degrees of these things.
“I have tremendous respect for what they and their families sacrifice in the name of service.”
The duke himself served two tours in Afghanistan, including as an Apache helicopter pilot.
Harry also said that to have Meghan by his side at this year’s games “means everything”, after making their first public appearance together at the Toronto games in 2017.
The couple stepped down as senior working royals in 2020 and moved to the US for a new life of personal and financial freedom.
