27 February 2024 , 12:18
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Prince Harry's team was left "reeling" at the thought he had "nicked" the Invictus Games idea after watching a similar event in the US, a royal author has claimed.
Valentine Low, who was a royal correspondent at The Times from 2008 to 2023, said he was in Colorado Springs when the Duke of Sussex joined the Warrior Games - an annual event for wounded or ill service personnel and veterans organised by the US Department of Defense - in 2013. Harry gave a speech ahead of the Warrior Games opening ceremony, saying: "I only hope in the future, the near future we can bring the Warrior Games to Britain and continue to enlarge this fantastic cause."
The following year, he founded the Invictus Games which have been a huge success and have been held in several countries including the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, and Germany. According to Mr Low, there were claims that Harry had "nicked the idea" of the Warrior Games, which left his team "reeling".
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Prince Harry at the Warrior Games in Colorado Springs in 2013The expert told The Sun US: "He saw these games, he was incredibly impressed," before telling his team he wanted to create something similar in Britain, and announced it in his speech. But Mr Low said that "driven by Harry's energy, vision", the team "achieved the impossible", as proven by the success the Invictus Games have had so far.
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Back in 2013, Bryn Parry, co-founder of Help For Heroes, said before the start of the cycle race at the Warrior Games: "If Harry can set up the vision, we can make it happen." He added similar high-profile events for injured veterans would become "vital" as he explained: "We've got to keep doing events to elicit pride and support. We've got to keep these individuals in the public eye even if we have peace."
Harry speaks to competitors as he attends the hand cycling event at the Warrior GamesMartin Colclough, head of physical recovery for Help For Heroes, said that if he was a betting man, he would put money on a Warrior Games-style event happening in London in 2014, with countries including the US and Australia taking part.
He said: "For me that would be the goal. We've had it in mind for a while, that we could pull off something like that. I would bet on it happening next year. There is considerable momentum coming from various organisations."
Earlier this month, Harry once again proved his love for the Invictus Games and those who compete in them. The Duke of Sussex was interviewed by Good Morning America co-host Will Reeve where he spoke about King Charles' cancer diagnosis, the possibility of becoming an American citizen, and more. Harry also took Will behind the scenes as Invictus Games competitors practiced for the games' first-ever Winter Games in Canada.
Harry started the Invictus Games to give veterans and active service members worldwide the chance to compete in Olympic-style games. As seen in Harry's Netflix documentary series, Heart of Invictus, the games help empower those who were wounded.
"Once you leave the military from a uniform standpoint, you never leave the community," Harry told Will on the American morning show. He told the co-host that the Invictus Games are "literally my annual fix to be amongst this community and have a laugh, have fun. No matter which nation they're from the banter is the same. I get a little bit of energy being around these guys."
Harry and Meghan at the Invictus Games in Germany in September 2023 (Getty Images for the Invictus Ga)Harry and Will talked to a few of the people on the slopes. Alex, a Paralympic skier, and instructor for the competitors said that the games are "normalising a little bit of a hidden world of disabilities. The more people that know the better." Harry agreed, saying: "It's proving to people that this is possible no matter what your disability is."
The Duke got emotional as he used a phone to talk to a Ukranian competitor and translate the conversation. "I am here to help my brothers who are currently wounded in the Ukrainian hospital," the translating app said. Harry cleared his throat and said: "It stirs the emotions you know, it's not lost on me, it's not lost on any of us, the thousands of Ukrainians that are being injured now."