'What you choose to do next': Prince Harry attends Invictus Spirit Awards for injured veterans
Prince Harry has been seen for the first time in public since returning to the UK as he arrived at the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards for wounded veterans at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich in south-east London.
He was photographed with members of the Band of The Irish Guards and posed for selfies with injured ex-military personnel.
The ceremony raised more than £1.6m, and the money will fund Invictus's year-round recovery programmes for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans.
The need is not historical
The evening also honoured six winners whose stories embody the Invictus spirit. The awards recognised people who have often gone unrecognised, those who have rebuilt their lives after injury or illness, reached back to support others, or built sport and rehabilitation programmes where none existed.
Fourteen nominees from nine countries were shortlisted, and they were judged by a panel that included the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle.
"Invictus has never been about what happened to you. It is about what you choose to do next. And none of us does that alone," the Duke of Sussex said in the Painted Hall.
"The need is not historical. Conflict is not historical. Neither are the injuries, visible and invisible, that people carry home from it. They are happening now, which means our responsibility is now."
The Resilience Award
Among the evening's award winners was Hari Budha Magar, who won the Resilience Award, presented by Monster.
The Resilience Award is given to someone whose unwavering drive and determination have led to an extraordinary achievement, by showing strength, recovery and impact through sport or adventure.
The former soldier, who was severely injured by an IED in Afghanistan, has gone on to become a record-breaking mountaineer after he completed the mountaineering "grand slam" by climbing the highest peaks on all seven continents in 2024.
"Our nominees' message tonight was remarkably consistent: give us the opportunity, and we will show you what is possible," the Invictus Games Foundation's chief executive, Rob Owen, said.
Birmingham will host the eighth edition of the Invictus Games next year, where 550 wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans from 25 nations will compete in 12 adaptive sports to support their recovery.
The money goes directly to that work, including Invictus Recovery Spaces, which brings adaptive sport into rehabilitation centres in Ukraine.
James Corden, the actor and presenter, hosted the award ceremony, with performances from Jess Glynne, Sekou and Sydnie Christmas, and an after-party set from Sonique.
The full list of award winners is below:
- Resilience Award, presented by Monster: Hari Budha Magar (UK)
- Invictus Champion Award, presented by Macquarie: Ken Fisher (USA)
- Invictus Community Award, presented by Boeing: Francisco Pedraza Osorio (Colombia)
- Invictus Movement Award, presented by donor James Temerty: Oksana Horbach (Ukraine)
- Invictus Legacy Award, presented by ATCO: Nick Booth (Canada)
- Henry Worsley Award, presented by ATCO: Temuri Dadiani (Georgia)
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