Prince Harry has made a surprise video appearance just hours after losing his legal battle in the High Court. The Duke of Sussex appeared at the Sport Gives Back Awards to send a message of congratulations to Josh Boggi, an Invictus Games champion and former soldier.
Josh had won in the ‘Unconquered’ category at the Sport Gives Back Awards when he received the message from Harry, who he previously met in 2013.
In the video, the dad-of-two said: “Josh, you are a truly remarkable human. There is no-one in the world who deserves this more; you are the personification of resilience. Congratulations mate.” See the rest of Harry’s words below.
Watch Prince Harry’s special words for Invictus Games medallist via this link: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/l0gugXnU
Josh served as an army corporal, however, in 2010, he lost his legs and right arm after he stepped on an improvised explosive device. During his recovery, Josh discovered a love of cycling and he currently works alongside wounded and ill service personnel.
Josh has won medals in cycling at the Invictus Games, which were founded by Prince Harry in 2014, and he currently serves as a community liaison executive for the Games. Alongside these achievements, Josh has also completed the 3,000-mile Race Across America team cycling challenge in record time and became the first triple amputee rescue scuba diver.
This was Harry’s second surprise video appearance of the day as hours earlier, the Duke of Sussex released a video in which he asked people to nominate the “remarkable individuals who inspire you” for WellChild’s upcoming 2024 awards.
The video was filmed inside the royal’s California home, and he said: “The WellChild Awards is our chance to celebrate the extraordinary strength and spirit of young people with complex medical conditions from across the United Kingdom.
“It allows us to shine a spotlight on the resilience and positivity that they demonstrate every single day, and recognise the incredible support from the families, friends, and the professionals around them. It is such a privilege to honour the immense courage and compassion of this incredible community.”
Harry continued: “But to do that, we need you to take a moment and nominate the remarkable individuals who inspire you. Your involvement makes a huge difference so please join us in celebrating the amazing superstars who will be recognised at the 2024 WellChild Awards.”
Both videos came hours after the Duke of Sussex lost a High Court challenge against the Home Office over a decision to change the level of his personal security when he visits the UK. Harry is seeking to appeal against the ruling, his lawyers have announced.
A legal spokesperson for Harry said: “The Duke is not asking for preferential treatment, but for a fair and lawful application of Ravec’s own rules, ensuring that he receives the same consideration as others in accordance with Ravec’s own written policy.
“In February 2020, Ravec failed to apply its written policy to the Duke of Sussex and excluded him from a particular risk analysis. The duke’s case is that the so-called ‘bespoke process’ that applies to him is no substitute for that risk analysis.
“The Duke of Sussex hopes he will obtain justice from the Court of Appeal, and makes no further comment while the case is ongoing.”
