Giving impassioned speeches, chatting with the athletes, taking photographs with fans and cheering on the competitors, a charming and confident Prince Harry looked truly in his element at the 6th Invictus Games in Dusseldorf.
Clearly revelling in the company, Harry seemed at ease as he spoke animatedly with the French mascot and the crowds enjoying the games, smiling as he put his arms around groups of schoolchildren.
In one particularly enthusiastic display, Harry even gave athlete Davey Martinez a big smooch on the head as he handed him a gold medal after the US won the wheelchair rugby final.
And at a powerlifting contest, the royal wasn’t afraid to get tactile with a Canadian fan, even tugging playfully on his long beard!
The Invictus Games has been a cause close to Harry’s heart since he founded it in 2014, to aid the rehabilitation of injured and sick veterans around the world by giving them the chance to compete in sporting events that demonstrate “the power of the human spirit” and help them be “the best version of yourself”.
He crowned Davey with a congratulatory kiss.
(Credit: Getty)Birthday boy
Harry had even more to celebrate at this year’s event in Dusseldorf, as it coincided with his 39th birthday on September 15.
His wife, the Duchess of Sussex, arrived to the event just in time for the Family & Friends party, apologising for being “a little late” after attending to their children, Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two.
“I had to just spend a little bit more time getting our little ones settled [at] home. Getting milkshakes, doing school drop-off and then I just landed a couple of hours ago,” Meghan, 42, said in her speech.
“We can’t wait to bring our kids also, so they can experience just how awesome this is.”
Meghan told the crowd it was “so special” to be there with her husband.
(Credit: Getty)Close to his heart
It was evident just how much the event means to Harry in the recent documentary Heart Of Invictus, which followed the competitors as they prepared for the games.
In his first major on-screen solo project, the royal was praised for being his authentic self and how the subject matter brought out the “very best” of him.
“For the prince, the Invictus Games is integral to his identity and has become his legacy,” entertainment expert Mark Boardman told Newsweek.
Shortly before arriving in Germany, Harry cut a sombre figure in the UK as he visited the late Queen’s final resting place, St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, to mark one year since her death.
The royal watched a wheelchair basketball match between the UK and Ukraine.
(Credit: Getty)