What Are the Invictus Games?
Prince Harry has made it clear that while he has stepped back from his senior role in the royal family, he's not abandoning the charities, organizations, and initiatives that he's championed as a full-time working royal.
Notably, he is still extremely involved with the Invictus Games, the international competition for wounded service members. Ahead of the 2025 edition of the event, which begins this Saturday, February 8 in Vancouver, here's everything you need to know about Prince Harry's royal passion project, the Invictus Games.
The Origin Story
Back in 2013, Prince Harry visited the Warrior Games, a competition for wounded servicemen organized by the U.S. Department of Defense, and was so inspired by the organization that he "stole" (his words) the idea and brought it back to the UK. "He saw how the power of sport could help physically, psychologically and socially," reads the Invictus Games website. "His mind was made up. London would host the inaugural Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick Service personnel."
Just one year later, the first Invictus Games took place in London.
Prince Harry's Involvement
Following that inaugural event in 2014, Prince Harry has remained involved with Invictus, serving as patron of the Invictus Games Foundation. He has attended every games so far.
The word Invictus means "unconquered."
The Games draw inspiration from the short poem "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley, who was an amputee himself. (Read it in full here.) "It embodies the fighting spirit of the wounded, injured and sick service personnel and what these tenacious men and women can achieve, post injury," reads the Games' website. "The Games harness the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation, and generate a wider understanding and respect for those who serve their country."
The Competition
Competitors from more than 20 nations, including the U.S., UK, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Israel, Jordan, New Zealand, Nigeria, the Netherlands, Romania, and Ukraine, participate in the games.
“Considering my injury, for a long time, I felt very powerless and invisible,” Major Joanna Labonté, who competed for Team Canada in the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, told T&C. “I feel like they’re shining a light on us—the military members who have struggled, who have felt a lot of uncertainty in our future. And they're saying ‘Your journey is just beginning, it’s not over. Yes, you’re releasing from the military, but you’re just beginning this brand new phase of your life. And you matter.’”
“The Invictus Games have gone a long way helping my recovery—they have helped me mentally, physically and emotionally,” Peacemaker Azuegbulam, a competitor from Nigeria, added. “Before, I was worried [about] how to cope with my life with the new condition that I’m [in].” (Azuegbulam lost his left leg when his army unit came under fire.) But when he got to the Invictus Games, he says, “It makes me feel good. It makes me feel loved.”
The Rivalry
A friendly rivalry has grown between the U.S. and the UK at the Games, one which is exemplified in this video—which features the Obamas and the Queen.
The Documentary
Heart of Invictus premiered on Netflix on August 30, 2023. "Our Invictus Games community represents some of the bravest and most dedicated individuals from 23 nations across the globe," Prince Harry said in a statement. "Heart of Invictus is the incredible story of competitors brought together through service, who are now united through sport. While in various stages of recovery from both visible and invisible injuries, these competitors and their loved ones give a compelling look at their journey to the Invictus Games, in a way that commands admiration and respect."
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