On Tuesday, one day after his arrival in his home country, Harry made his way to Central London for an Invictus Games Foundation event at Chatham House. The event brought together members of the Invictus community, leading experts and policymakers, including UK minister for veterans and people Calvin Bailey, to discuss issues affecting wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans – all those eligible to take part in the paralympic-style games.
Inside the event, chair of the Invictus Games Foundation Lord Charles Allen, CBE, introduced Harry to the stage just moments after the verdict was delivered, as he thanked the audience for coming before joking that “this is one of the few rooms in the UK that has air conditioning!”
Harry said during his address: “Looking around this room, I see people representing different nations, different governments, different militaries, different organisations and different approaches to recovery. And that’s exactly as it should be.
“No two countries are the same. No two healthcare systems are the same. No two military cultures are the same. What brings us together is far more important than what sets us apart.
“Every one of us believes that those who have served their country – and in particular those whose lives have been changed by that service – deserve more than our gratitude. They deserve opportunity. The chance to redefine one’s Purpose and Identity. They deserve to truly feel our admiration and Respect. And they deserve every chance to build the life they choose beyond military service. That’s what the Invictus Community is all about.”
Harry concluded: “I hope you leave this conference with a deeper understanding of what the Invictus movement really is. Not simply a week of sport every few years, but a community united by one belief: that the unconquered human spirit exists in every nation and that our shared responsibility is to create the conditions in which it can flourish.”
