Prince Harry criticises ‘weak moral character in the world’
The Duke of Sussex criticised the “weak moral character in the world” in a speech just hours after Donald Trump called his wife “terrible”.
The Duke, 40, told a crowd of 40,000 at the BC Place stadium in Vancouver, Canada, during the Invictus Games opening ceremony on Saturday that there was “difficulty and division in many parts of the world”.
“At this moment, when there is no shortage of crises, no absence of uncertainty, no lack of weak moral character in the world, the values you embody, the way you carry yourselves – not only at the Invictus Games, but each and every day – your courage, your resilience, your humanity, illuminate a path forward for us all,” he said.
His speech came on the same day that Donald Trump ruled out deporting the Duke from the US over suggestions of historic drug-taking, claiming the royal has “enough problems with his wife”, Meghan, whom he said was “terrible”.
The Duke and Duchess, 43, appeared together at the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games, the sports competition for wounded service members and veterans which was founded by the Duke in 2014.
In a speech sandwiched between performances by musical stars Chris Martin and Katy Perry, the Duke paid tribute to the indigenous peoples in Canada. “I would like to begin by honouring the First Nations, who are hosting this year’s Games. Lílwat, Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh,” he said.
He addressed the crowd with a traditional greeting - “Hite-sap - coo-cwee-lum” - which is a message of welcoming used in large gatherings.
Addressing the hundreds of competitors, he said: “The Games were born more than a decade ago, from a promise I made to myself.
“A promise to uphold my obligation – a sacred obligation after my own decade and privilege of military service – to do whatever I could to help my fellow brothers and sisters heal, and to champion everything we stand for.
“Over the past decade I’ve lost count of the times we’ve heard you tell us that the Invictus Games saved you.
“Respectfully, I disagree. Invictus didn’t save you. You saved yourself.”
The Sussexes flew to Vancouver on Friday and arrived at the five-star Fairmont Pacific Rim, one of the city’s most expensive hotels, in a convoy of three large blacked-out SUVs.
At a behind-closed-doors welcome reception for competitors on Friday evening, the Duchess kissed her husband on stage and told the injured veterans: “You are his family.” She also said she felt “at home” in Canada.
They spent the first day of the competition meeting athletes from Team US and Team Canada. Both were seen hugging competitors in Instagram posts by the Duchess. She was also filmed laughing with a group of female US competitors while the Duke was seen dancing in front of Canadian athletes.
The games come at a strange time for the Sussexes and will likely provide a welcome distraction from questions over their professional futures.
Just last month, Prince Harry agreed to settle with Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers for an eight-figure sum. Some saw it as a climbdown in his battle against the tabloid press. He had previously described himself as a “dragon slayer” who wanted to “change the media landscape” forever.
His idea for a Spotify podcast has also been gently mocked. Dubbed a “sociopath podcast”, he reportedly wanted to interview powerful men with complicated stories such as Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Mark Zuckerberg, about how their experiences turned them into sociopaths.
His Netflix show about polo did not generate the buzz it might have expected, his best-selling memoir is long done and dusted, and his relations with the Royal family remain on a scale between strained and non-existent.
For the Duchess, her anticipated Netflix show has been postponed after the Los Angeles fires, while a blistering Vanity Fair cover story last month portrayed her as a ruthless boss.
In the face of all this, the nine days of the games, which run until Feb 16, offer a brief respite, where they are respected and adored by competitors and fans alike.
When the Sussexes appeared on the jumbotron during the opening ceremony, they were greeted with rapturous applause from the stadium - only the appearance of Team Ukraine produced a louder noise throughout the whole ceremony.
The Duchess, wearing a white Sentaler coat, rested her head on her husband’s shoulder as emotional videos of competitors, in which they detailed their struggles, played on the large screen.
Martin, who performed the Invictus Games anthem which he created in 2014, paid tribute to the Duke, saying: “Thank you, Harry, for being such an inspiring leader and kind and sweet man.”
After the ceremony, the Duke and Duchess watched an ice hockey match between the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs at the Rogers Arena.
