Prince Harry wraps up Invictus Games with veiled dig at Royal Family – Deadline

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Prince Harry closed the Dusseldorf Invictus Games with a speech that some interpreted as a veiled criticism of the British royal family.

Harry told the audience of competitors – including injured military personnel –

“A week ago I stood here and told you about the importance of being able to wear your country’s flag again.

“A lot of you have told me that this has hit you here. For many of you, the uniform you have been wearing for the past week will give you a new story to tell.

“And for others it may give your old outfit a new meaning.

“But I’m here to remind you that after all, you don’t need to rely on a uniform, and you shouldn’t feel lost without it. Because everything you need is already inside you.”

Keen observers in the British media interpreted his words as a subtle criticism of the royal family’s decision not to allow Harry to wear his military uniform either at the funeral of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022, or at the coronation of his father, King Charles, in September 2022. May this year.

Harry, a war veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan during his decade in the British Army, was reportedly upset by the decision to prevent him from wearing his ceremonial uniform because he was no longer a serving royal.

At his grandfather’s funeral in April 2022, Harry joined other male royals in wearing morning suits, and was allowed to wear his Blues and Royals No. 1 uniform and medals at his grandmother’s vigil at Westminster Hall in London.

He was stripped of his military titles, including Captain-General of the Royal Marines, when he and his wife, Meghan, stepped back from royal life and moved away from the UK.

This is the sixth round of the Invictus Games, the event and organization Harry founded in 2014 to support injured veterans. He wrote in his diary additional He was inspired to create this event when he was returning home from his own tour in Afghanistan and shared a plane with injured individuals returning home.