Prince Harry was visibly emotional as he took the stage at the Invictus games opening ceremony in Vancouver, delivering a speech that left the crowd of 40,000 at BC Place Stadium deeply moved.
Getting emotional, the Duke of Sussex spoke about the resilience and courage of the competing veterans, declaring, “We gather here in Vancouver in a spirit of unity.”, according to The Mirror.
Before stepping onto the podium, Prince Harry shared a private moment with Meghan Markle, who offered him a simple but heartfelt message. According to professional lip-reader quotes by The Mirror, Jeremy Freeman, Meghan told him: “You’re amazing.”. The Duchess, 43, then embraced him warmly, and the couple shared a tender kiss as the event’s energy soared.
During his passionate speech, Prince Harry rejected the notion that the Invictus Games alone were responsible for transforming the lives of injured veterans. “Over the past decade, I’ve lost count of the times we’ve heard you tell us that the Invictus games saved you. Respectfully, I disagree. Invictus didn’t save you. You saved yourself,” he told the crowd, receiving thunderous applause.
Prince Harry’s emotional speech came just as Donald Trump made controversial remarks about the Duke and Duchess. The US President dismissed the idea of deporting Harry, despite his past admissions of drug use, saying the royal already has “enough problems with his wife”, whom he branded “terrible”, as per The Mirror.
While Harry did not name Trump, his speech appeared to address global leadership failures, as he said: “At this moment, when there is no shortage of crises, no absence of uncertainty, no lack of weak moral character in the world, the values you embody… illuminate a path forward for us all.”
The opening ceremony featured Canadian pop star Nelly Furtado, who performed a set of her biggest hits, followed by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who sang the Invictus games anthem, originally composed in 2014.
Martin later paid tribute to Harry and was seen sharing a lighthearted moment with him and Meghan backstage.