Long before he met Meghan Markle, Prince Harry was already looking to escape the shackles of the royal family. In loss of bearings, Captain Wales had given meaning to his life by helping wounded soldiers to find hope.
Among the Windsors, war is a passion that is passed on from father to son. Yet Prince Harry’s military career – much to his dismay – was cut short after only ten years of service. It all began in 2007, when the young man, nicknamed “Captain Wales”, was sent to the front to fight the Taliban during the war in Afghanistan, which had started six years earlier. At the heart of the action, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II finally feels useful.
For more than two months, his presence among the troops remained a well-kept secret by his comrades in arms. But, when an Australian media reveals the information, Harry instantly becomes a target of choice for the enemy, and represents a danger for all his regiment. The British Ministry of Defence intervened and had him rushed back to the UK.
The young prince is depressed. On the plane taking the newly graduated helicopter pilot back to his homeland, he broods as he reviews all the possible career paths that have been denied him because of his social rank… Injustice gnaws at him and the anger of the untimely death of his mother, Lady Diana, still burns fiercely under his uniform.
For Prince Harry – who knows perfectly well that he will never ascend the throne of England – the army has long been a refuge and an escape. From palace life, of course, but also from the hordes of paparazzi that have followed him relentlessly since he was a child… Just as his grandfather, Prince Philip, had done during the Second World War, the Duke of Sussex knew how to blend into the anonymity of the ranks of soldiers. Defending democracy on behalf of his country, gave meaning and flavor to his privileged life as a blue-blooded prince.
“My father is always trying to remind me of my rank and duty. But in the army, it’s easy for me to forget where I come from,” Prince Harry said in a 2013 interview with “The Guardian” newspaper. Everyone wears the same uniform and does the same thing. I get on well with my mates and I love my job. It’s as simple as that.”
Harry would be allowed to return to Afghanistan in 2012, but he didn’t stay long due to security concerns. Despite his desire to be just another soldier, the British government and Buckingham Palace do not see things the same way. The prince must abandon his dream of military glory and invent a completely different destiny.
The second life of Prince Harry
It was in charity work that Harry finally found his way. Inspired by the Warrior Games in Colorado, which he attended in 2013, the Duke of Sussex saw athletic competition as an excellent way for wounded soldiers to rehabilitate themselves and an opportunity to boost their self-confidence. He may be well off, but Prince Harry knows better than anyone the quest for existential meaning.
So Prince Harry created the “Invictus Games”. An international sports competition, like the Paralympics, reserved for war veterans. The first edition took place in London, but since then, cities all over the world have been fighting to host them, as the Prince’s initiative has been a great success.
Alongside his new charitable foundation, Harry has finally found love with Meghan Markle. After several failed relationships, the duke is swimming in happiness with the American actress, also an activist at heart. Very quickly, the Invictus Games became a joint project.
After their hasty departure for Los Angeles, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry prefer to keep their distance from the royal family of England. After all, since his teenage years, the son of Prince Charles has made no secret of his contempt for the British press or his anger at being born titled. With Meghan, Prince Harry finds the strength to leave for good.
In 2022 the games will be held in the Netherlands. A return very expected, after a few editions missed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Not surprisingly, the Sussex couple did not hesitate to make the trip from California, followed by a team of cameras of the giant Netflix for a future documentary. This outing is symbolic, as much for the couple as for the Invictus Games foundation.
It was during the Invictus Games in Toronto, in September 2017, that Harry and Meghan had made their first outing as lovers. The rumors of a new romance between the prince and the American actress had been going strong for several months already…The couple knew that their coming would offer a nice spotlight to the charity so dear to the prince’s heart. Successful bet for the future parents of Archie and Lilibeth!
This time again, all eyes are turned to the couple who has been discreet since January 2020. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex may have given up court life and their royal titles, but the Prince does not intend to abandon the veterans he admires so much, nor the Invictus Games of which he is so proud. With or without a royal palace, Harry remains…undefeated.
Photos credits: Bestimage
And ..And …well bravo just plain Harry In dirt planting trees with African children Not lording over others In open top car ,just the way the people wanted to see his late mum ….whoever says he does not look like his mum is obviously only looking on the outside ,when the Diamond is on the inside