Prince Harry paid tribute Wednesday to the 130 competitors who will represent Britain at next month’s Invictus Games in London, a multi-sport event for injured armed services personnel from 14 nations.
Harry, the younger son of Prince Charles — the heir to the British throne — is a serving Army officer who is helping to organise the new event, which is loosely modelled on the Paralympics.
Harry, speaking at an event to launch the games at London’s Tower Bridge, joked he would get “so much banter” from the servicemen and women behind him.
The 29-year-old, who has served as a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan, said: “Prosthetics, dogs, wheelchairs, high-performance cars, 4x4s, tattoos — we’ve got everything here. It could only be the Invictus Games.”
On a windy day, Harry’s speech blew away, causing the crowd to laugh and, as he picked up his notes, the prince joked: “No blowing from the left, thank you.”
He also thanked the public for their support before turning his attention to the British competitors.
“To all of you behind me, I would like to congratulate you on making the team.
“These men and women here have achieved so much already but being selected for this team is another significant milestone in their life beyond injury.”
He added the games were not solely for those taking part, but for the “wider family” and he also said the team wouldn’t just be competing for themselves but for their “mates”.
“Guys and girls, I wish you all the very best of luck in the final weeks of training,” Harry said.
“We’ve got four weeks left, let’s make sure we’re in tiptop condition to beat everybody else and bring back as many medals as we possibly can — not forgetting it’s the taking part that counts.”