Prince Harry surprised moviegoers when he showed up at the premiere of his new Netflix documentary in California.
The Duke of Sussex appeared to be in good spirits as he joked with the audience of veterans and their family members that it was “nice of you to dress up for the occasion.”
The 38-year-old came out to cheer on the crowd before they were shown two episodes of Heart of Invictus, his new series in which he follows veterans as they prepare for the Invictus Games – the sports competition for wounded service members that he launched in 2014 had called life.
The screening, which took place Monday night at a movie theater in Chula Vista, San Diego County, is believed to have been arranged by Netflix and the Prince’s organization, Archewell, Hello! reports.
He posed for photos with theatergoers after the screening as the five-part series is set to be released on the streaming service this morning.
Harry joked that it was “nice of you to dress up for the occasion” while glancing at the audience
Prince Harry posed for photos with viewers after the premiere of a new Netflix series about the Invictus Games in California
They were produced as part of the Sussexes’ £80 million deal with the streaming service, which saw them release a documentary series called Harry & Meghan last year.
After walking to the front of the screen in front of the cheering crowd, Harry, wearing a cream blazer and white shirt, joked: “Good to see you all.” It’s nice of you to dress up for the occasion. [No] Suits and ties?’
In footage posted on social media, he was seen adding: “I wanted to say a big thank you for coming tonight.” You can watch Heart of Invictus, which has been in the works for the last two years, earlier than anyone see others.
“It’s coming out on Wednesday, you can watch it tonight – at least two episodes to kinda whet your appetite for the rest.”
In a reel posted by @bonnie_pham on Instagram, the Duke of Sussex was heard talking about the sacrifices military personnel and their families make in the line of duty.
In the caption, she wrote, “When it’s a random Monday night and Prince Harry crashes the premiere of his show in random Chula Vista.”
She then commented: “What a show, what a man, what a special surprise!” #heartofinvictus’
The Duke is an executive producer on the show and there is pressure for the series to be a ratings success after her contract with Spotify for Meghan’s Archetypes podcast ended after just one series this summer.
In their previous Netflix show Harry & Meghan, a documentary series about their relationship, they took digs at the royal family and expressed their opinions on Megxit, which led to them leaving the UK for California.
The Duke of Sussex was in good spirits and joked with the audience as he gave a short speech about the documentary
The prince, pictured on stage during the opening ceremony of the 2020 Invictus Games, prepared the event for wounded veterans
Harry, who recently appeared on a charity and polo tour in Japan and Singapore with his best friend Nacho Figueras, was the focus of promotional material for the new series.
In a trailer released by Netflix last month, he was heard saying: “Here at Invictus Games, you realize that everything you wear was the stepping stone that catapulted you to the next level.” The games aren’t about what caused the injury, but about recovery and how to be part of a community again.”
In the picture, Harry is seen meeting competitors and his voice can be heard saying: “Everyone is going to have trouble at some point.”
The new series will be released ahead of next month’s Invictus Games, which take place in Düsseldorf from September 9th.
Rita Ora will perform at the closing ceremony, where Harry will give an emotional speech. Rita and Harry have been friends for years.
Harry and Meghan are expected to attend the event, which he created after being inspired by the Warrior Games in the United States.
The Duke of Sussex high-fives a veteran during the trailer for Netflix series “The Heart of Invictus.”
The documentary, which follows veterans as they prepare for the Invictus Games, is released today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, pictured here in Düsseldorf last September, will return to the German city next month for the Invictus Games
In a video message recorded at his Montecito villa before his departure for Japan, Harry stressed: “It will be the best Games ever.” He also praised the participants for taking the next step on their “healing journey.” , and emphasized that the event, which he called a “home of respect,” was part of his own.
During the virtual call, he grinned and said, “I hope you’re excited and probably a little nervous.” I’m both. But I can’t wait to see you all and have the whole community together again. It’s been too long’.
Addressing the athletes, he said: “You are all at different stages of your healing journey,” before adding: “We all are – we always will be.”
“Good luck for the remaining weeks, have fun, looking forward to it.” Being nervous is a good thing. We have 21 nations this year and we can’t wait to have every continent represented. Except Antarctica – but I’m still working on that,” he said with a laugh.
“Thank you for your service, for your commitment and your determination to get to this point.” We will have a lot of fun and are looking forward to it. We are ready to accommodate you. They will be the best games ever, the best games yet.”
Harry will reportedly be in Düsseldorf for the entire games, while Meghan is expected to attend about half of them, including her husband’s speech at the closing ceremony.
A source told the Rheinische Post that “this very emotional element should be personally observed by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.”