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Prince Harry concluded the Düsseldorf Invictus Games with a speech that was interpreted by some as a hidden swipe at the British royal family.
Harry told the audience about the competitors – including injured military personnel –
“A week ago I stood here and told you how important it is to be able to carry your country’s flag again.
“So many of you have told me that it hit you right here. For many of you, the uniform you wore last week will tell a new story.
“And for others, it might bring new meaning to your old uniform.
“But I’m here to remind you that after all this, you don’t have to rely on a uniform and you shouldn’t feel lost without one. Because everything you need is already within you.”
Keen observers in the British media interpreted his words as a subtle dig at the royal family’s decision not to allow Harry to attend either the funeral of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022 or the coronation of his father, King Charles Military uniform to wear in May this year.
Harry, a veteran who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan during his decade in the British Army, was reportedly troubled by the decision to ban him from wearing his ceremonial military uniform because he is no longer a working member of the royal family.
At his grandfather’s funeral in April 2022, Harry, along with other male royals, wore morning suits and was allowed to wear his Blues and Royals No 1 uniform and medals for a vigil for his grandmother at Westminster Hall in London.
When he and his wife Meghan retired from royal life and moved away from the United Kingdom, he was stripped of his military titles, including that of captain general of the Royal Marines.
This is the sixth appearance of the Invictus Games, the event and organization Harry founded in 2014 to support injured veterans. In his memoir “Spare,” he wrote that he was inspired to create the event when he was traveling home from his own tour in Afghanistan and sharing the plane with returning injured.