PRINCE HARRY DELIVERS A MESSAGE THAT IS DRAWING ATTENTION AS REPORTS EMERGE AHEAD OF MEGHAN BRINGING ARCHIE AND LILIBET TO THE UK… BUT IT IS THE SPECIAL MEANING BEHIND HIS WORDS THAT HAS ROYAL FANS TALKING
Prince Harry today declared that Britain must develop greater ‘national resilience’ as he promoted his Invictus Games in Birmingham.
The Duke of Sussex told ITV‘s This Morning that the UK must ‘grow’ its culture of perseverance as he appeared at the one-year countdown event that Meghan Markle had originally planned to attend.
Harry embraced presenter Alison Hammond and said how much he loves his family amid reports that his wife and two children will join him in Britain for the weekend.
Meghan, Archie and Lilibet are not expected to take part in any public engagements, although discussions over a possible reunion with the King in the coming days are ongoing.
Charles carried out official duties in Oxford this afternoon – just 50 miles from Althorp, where the Sussexes were reportedly planning to stay with Earl Spencer. The Northamptonshire estate is also where Harry’s mother, Diana, is buried on a secluded island.
Days after losing his High Court case against the Daily Mail, Harry gave an interview to his friend Alison Hammond where he claimed Britain needed to develop more ‘national resilience’.
He said veterans competing in the Invictus Games ‘captured hearts’ by showing how their battle with adversity and disability can be transformed into strength.
‘When you’re really up against it, how you decide to use that trauma, that experience or that loss, how you use that to really grow that resilience in yourself, I think that’s where people can connect to it,’ he said.
‘And now more than ever, we need to grow the national resilience here in the UK, but also around the world.’
Harry also spoke passionately about Invictus before revealing that Meghan, Archie and Lilibet are ‘proud’ of his work for wounded veterans.
The Duchess of Sussex had hoped to support Harry at today’s event at the NEC, but did not travel to Britain with him on Monday because of security concerns and the ongoing row with the Home Office over taxpayer-funded armed police bodyguards.
Meghan and the children have been holidaying in Europe, but there are reports they will fly to Britain ahead of a potential reunion with the King after four years.
Speaking live on This Morning, Ms Hammond told Harry: ‘Honestly, your kids and Meghan must be so proud of you. Do they tell you every day?’
He smiled and replied: ‘They don’t tell me every day that they’re proud of me, but yeah, I’m proud of them, they’re proud of me. I love my family.’
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Prince Harry embraced TV star Alison Hammond as he marks one year until the Invictus Games in Birmingham. Meghan Markle had planned to attend
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The Duke of Sussex is greeted by Alison Hammond, during a visit to Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC)
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The Duke of Sussex took on the This Morning presenter in a laser gun event
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Harry, Alison and JJ Chalmers also did a running race around the NEC
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Prince Harry takes part in a pickleball match during an event to mark the ‘Invictus Games Birmingham 2027: One Year To Go’, at the NEC in Birmingham today
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Harry celebrates during some wheelchair rugby
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Harry posed for selfies at today’s event
He also said he was ‘excited’ to be in Birmingham and it was ‘great’, given the Midlands city was the ‘centrepoint where so many of the wounded soldiers came back through from Afghanistan’.
He added: ‘Being here back in Birmingham means a hell of a lot to most of these guys’, saying it was a ‘real homecoming for some of them’. The Duke also said there was ‘resilience in every single one of us’ and hoped Invictus will inspire more people with both physical and mental injuries.
In a light-hearted interview, Alison Hammond invited the prince to her house in Birmingham for ackee and saltfish – but said she needed to tidy up first. He joked that he would happily bleach her toilet.
The Duke of Sussex also raced the This Morning and Bake Off host and his friend JJ Chalmers in a game of laser tag as he promoted the Invictus Games.
Prince Harry apologised after referring to England’s World Cup quarter-final against Norway on Saturday night as a game of ‘soccer’.
After six years living in the US, the Duke of Sussex slipped into using the American term for the beautiful game when This Morning host Alison Hammond invited him back to her house for ackee and saltfish, Jamaica’s national dish.
Delighted by the invitation, Harry replied: ‘And some soccer as well?’, before quickly correcting himself: ‘Some football, sorry. Football, not soccer.’
Alison then joked that she needed to tidy up first.
Harry replied: ‘Okay, why does it need tidying up? I’ll bleach your toilet for you. For you, anything.’
He also told Alison: ‘By the way my kids love Junior Bake Off.’
Harry had spoofed her accent in a cringeworthy video on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert last year.
He mimicked a meme-worthy interaction between Hammond and show contestant Mark Lutton. Hammond mistakenly thought Lutton was telling her to ‘beg for me’, when he was actually saying ‘bake for me’.
Today Harry and Alison laughed about how his impression had gone viral – but despite a hint from Ms Hammond, Harry did not do it again.
With Arthur Fery in the Wimbledon semi-final today, Harry showed off his racquet skills when he tried pickleball – an alternative to tennis – at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in the Second City.
Meghan is now widely expected to travel to Britain with Archie and Lilibet, with some claiming they are already here, fuelling speculation that the King could finally meet his California-based grandchildren for the first time in four years.
Helen Helliwell, chief executive of Invictus Games Birmingham 2027, opened the event by saying: ‘Invictus has always been more than a week of games.’
She added: ‘It transforms lives not only for competitors but for their families.’
Harry was joined by This Morning and Great British Bake Off host Alison Hammond, who is from Birmingham, and TV presenter Ade Adepitan, who won a bronze with the GB basketball team at the 2004 Paralympics.
The duke joined a partner on court to compete against another pair in pickleball, which will make an appearance when the games are staged in Birmingham next year.
Harry was clearly enjoying himself at the ‘One Year to Go‘ event, with one particularly funny moment where he went to shake hands with an opponent and pulled away his hand, sparking roars of laughter.
Harry was later joined by former defence minister Al Cairns to compete in a game of wheelchair rugby where he was seen clattering into other competitors.
At one point he threw a blind pass over his head straight into the arms of a teammate, who crossed the try-line, a move praised by TV presenter Ade Adepitan who won a bronze with the GB basketball team at the 2004 Paralympics.
Mr Adepitan, said about wheelchair rugby, a favourite sport among fans at past Invictus Games: ‘This is a fantastic exhibition, a fantastic opportunity for people who’ve never seen the sport and never seen these athletes compete.
‘And you know, when you’re on there, you’ve got to do it justice.’
Harry then watched on as veterans, including Mr Cairns, took part in a hybrid athletics event, where the Duke chuckled at the MP’s efforts to jump repeatedly on to a box.
The royal, who arrived in London on Monday, has not been joined in the UK by Meghan or their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet due to a row over security.
However, it was last night reported that the Duchess of Sussex and the children could be coming to the UK this weekend, although the trio are not expected to be seen at any public engagements.
If, as expected, the Sussexes make their home at Althorp, the ancestral home of Harry’s maternal family, the Spencers, for the next couple of days, it may be that a meeting with King Charles doesn’t take place until this weekend – or possibly even Monday, before His Majesty embarks on another busy week of engagements.
Highgrove, Sandringham or Windsor could be a venue, as Harry has made clear he won’t bring his family to London because he is convinced it is ‘unsafe’.
The Duke of Sussex yesterday met seriously ill children and nurses at Birmingham Children’s Hospital as his five-day trip to Britain continued.
Harry toured the wards as he marked the 20th anniversary of the hospital’s WellChild Nurse programme, having been patron of the charity for 18 years.
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Harry and Alison hatched a plan to watch the football later, which Harry called ‘soccer’ before apologising
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Harry participates in Wheelchair Rugby during the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027, One Year To Go Event at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham
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Harry was clearly enjoying himself, cheering on a fine shot in the match
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The Duke of Sussex also feigned being over competitive about the match, jokingly berating a teammate and also made everyone laugh by refusing to shake an opponent’s hand
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Harry is towards the end of a five-day trip to the UK
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It has been reported Meghan could make her first return to the UK since 2022, accompanied by her children Prince Archie, seven, and five-year-old Lilibet, in time for the weekend – but will not be seen in public
Harry’s visit to the UK is part of the ‘One Year to Go‘ celebrations for the next Invictus Games in the city in July 2027.
On Wednesday, he was also at the Royal Hospital Chelsea for meetings about the Invictus Games Foundation, including a summit for international team managers.
They spoke about plans for the Invictus Spirit Awards in the capital this September.
While Harry was in Birmingham, other members of the Royal Family carried on with a busy series of summer engagements – with the duke’s estranged brother Prince William travelling to Hastings on Thursday to meet a fishing community as well as local youth-led and community-driven organisations.
In Birmingham yesterday, Harry was surrounded by nurses when he visited the hospital and spoke about the ‘financial difficulties’ facing the NHS.
Harry was highlighting WellChild’s specialist nursing programme, helping seriously ill children and their families transition from the hospital to their homes.
His appearance caused excitement in the hospital corridors, with one female medic receiving a hug.
Families asked for pictures and the duke posed for a group shot with around a dozen nurses, telling them: ‘Thank you for everything you do.’
Harry met two nurses funded by WellChild, which facilitates the early discharge of children by teaching their parents the skills needed to provide care at home, and met some of the young patients.
In a lighter moment the duke revealed his son’s love of toy building bricks when he shared stories with Alec Hill, 12, and his parents.
‘Do you know who’s obsessed with Lego? My son Archie – and he’s a master builder,’ said Harry.
Harry’s five-day visit to the UK, which moved to Birmingham yesterday, is part of the ‘One Year to Go’ celebrations for the next Invictus Games in the city in July 2027.
SOURCE: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15967525/Meghan-bring-Archie-Lilibet-UK-join-Harry-weekend-wont-seen-public.html
