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Prince Harry is attending the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards this evening—his first public appearance since arriving back in the UK. Harry looked smart in a suit and bow tie as he arrived solo just after 6:30 p.m. in the UK for the event and the Old Royal Naval College in the Greenwich part of London.
The Prince, who served with the military for a decade, had his medals pinned to his chest. He gave a small smile and wave in the direction of media as he arrived. The medals the Prince was wearing were his Afghan Campaign medal as well as his Golden, Diamond, and Platinum Jubilee medals plus the medal he received as a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, which he received in 2015 for services to the monarch.
When asked by attendees at the event how things were going, Harry replied, “Good. It’s good to be back on British soil.”
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The Duke of Sussex waves to media.
This evening’s event has been designed to celebrate those who have thrived within, or made an outstanding contribution to, the Invictus Games community. Invictus is one of the few charitable projects that the Prince was able to continue with when he stepped back as a working royal in 2020.
The precise location of this evening’s event was embargoed until Harry’s arrival for security reasons. The Prince does not have the taxpayer funded police protection he had as a working royal but is instead traveling with his own privately-funded security team. A review into his UK security is reportedly taking place, but has yet to happen. Harry and Meghan have already changed the location of their children’s school due to concerns over security on the journey there and back.
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The Duke of Sussex takes a selfie as he arrives at the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards.
The Duke of Sussex’s arrival this evening came around 90 minutes after the first extract of Earl Spencer’s book about Princess Diana was published in the Daily Mail. The explosive memoir has already prompted Buckingham Palace to release a statement suggesting that grief has clouded the Earl’s memory and judgement after it was revealed that it contained damaging allegations about King Charles. Harry has not commented on the book, however is said to be aware of it.
Earl Spencer’s book has overshadowed what has been a busy day for the royal family. King Charles convened AI leaders at Dumfries House, Prince William and Kate spent the day in the Isle of Bute, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, continues her trip to Zambia.
Town & Country Contributing Editor Victoria Murphy has reported on the British Royal Family since 2010. She has interviewed Prince Harry and has travelled the world covering several royal tours. She is a frequent contributor to Good Morning America. Victoria authored Town & Country book The Queen: A Life in Pictures, released in 2021.