It’s coming up to a year
since Prince Harry last stepped on home soil, with his most recent visit
to England taking place in July for the unveiling of Princess Diana’s memorial
statue. But he will be closer to the UK than ever before later this week when
he attends the Invictus Games in The Hague, The Netherlands.
Royal watchers are wondering
whether Harry will take the opportunity to hop over from The Netherlands to the
UK – a one-hour flight – once the tournament wraps to visit his
grandmother the Queen.
Harry has been wanting to
visit his home country with his wife Meghan Markle and their two
children, Archie and Lilibet, but he and his family are “unable to
return” because it is too dangerous, his legal representative has said.
The Duke is bringing a claim
against the Home Office after being told he would no longer be given the same degree
of personal protective security when visiting from the US, despite offering to
pay for it himself. It was this lack of security that prevented him from
attending his grandfather Prince Philip’s service of thanksgiving in March,
although his spokesperson said Harry is very much hoping to visit the Queen
soon.
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Harry will travel to the Netherlands this week for the Invictus Games
He may choose to quietly make
a private visit to Windsor while he is on this side of the Atlantic to see his
grandmother. Her Majesty is also turning 96 on Thursday 21 April and the Invictus
Games end the following day, so he could enjoy some belated birthday
celebrations with her.
Harry will be joined on
his Netherlands trip by his wife Meghan, who will attend the first few days of
the Games, which kick off on Saturday. It’s not known whether the couple will
bring their children: Archie, who turns three in May, and baby Lilibet,
who is one in June.
The Duke launched the Invictus
Games in 2014 to aid the rehabilitation of injured or sick military personnel
and veterans from across the globe, by giving them the challenge of competing
in sporting events similar to the Paralympics.
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He launched the Invictus Games in 2014
On Tuesday, it was announced
that the Invictus Games Foundation, of which Harry is a founding patron, will
team up with professional coaching and mental health firm BetterUp, of which
Harry is the chief impact officer. BetterUp will offer one-to-one coaching and
personalized assessments to support members of the Invictus community.
“At its heart, the
Invictus Games is about empowering every single person around the world,”
Harry said. “It’s a worldwide display of resilience, determination, and
community for which each of us can draw inspiration.
“I couldn’t think of a
better new partner for the Invictus Games Foundation than the mental fitness
platform BetterUp. The mind is like a muscle: it needs to be honed, trained,
rehabbed and coached. The men and women I served with understood this, the Invictus
community knows this, and now the world is beginning to see it too.
“I’m honoured to bring
the work we do at BetterUp to Invictus and look forward to expanding the
support systems that service members and veterans depend on to achieve
remarkable feats.”
