Prince Harry recalls 'trigger' of seeing cost of war as he left Afghanistan in new Netflix documentary

Warning: This article contains details some readers may find upsetting.

The Duke of Sussex has recalled the moment he saw "the real cost of war" and how it inspired him to found the Invictus Games.

In the first episode of Prince Harry's new Netflix documentary, Heart of Invictus, he speaks about what he witnessed while being extracted from Afghanistan.

"My own experience in Afghanistan was really affected by that flight home," the Duke, who served in the British Army, said in the documentary.

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"As we took off, the curtain in front of me blew open and all you could see was the air hospital. Three young British soldiers, all wrapped in plastic and their bodies in pieces."

Prince Harry said that moment was a "real trigger", adding: "I’m now seeing the real cost of war."

Harry, a former Apache pilot, said that made him want to somehow use his platform to raise awareness around the impact of war.

“How can we make sure more people know what’s actually happening, the reality of what’s happening as opposed to some troops over there, fighting a war overseas?" he says in the documentary

"That was where it really all started and the idea, or the concept or the reality that sport can play an enormous part in everybody’s rehabilitation, be it psychological or physical."

Years later, the Duke founded the Invictus Games Foundation and the first sporting event was held in London in 2014.

The Games, aimed at wounded, injured or sick Armed Forces personnel and veterans, has since been held across the world, including Canada, Australia and soon Germany.

"The journey to the Games has been challenging. We're constantly trying to grow the community," Harry says.

"There are thousands of applicants for a team between 30 and 80 places."

The Heart of Invictus docuseries focuses on the 2022 Invictus Games in the Netherlands and hears stories from veterans taking part in the Games.

This year’s Invictus Games will be held in Düsseldorf, Germany.