Prince Harry is proud to have served his country! The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their first royal appearance together at the 2020 Endeavor Fund Awards in London. During the event, Prince Harry, who served in the military, took to the stage to make a powerful speech on how serving sticks with you forever.
“For some, the military community represents a brotherhood or sisterhood that no other organisation can provide, and for others it’s a way of life which you never want to leave. For a lot of us, it’s both. Being able to serve Queen and Country is something we all are rightly proud of, and it never leaves us. Once served, always serving,” he said.
“Leaving the military and hanging up your uniform is – we know – an incredibly hard thing to do (unless of course it’s blue in colour.) But being forced to hang it up due to injury, beyond your control, can be even more difficult to accept. It can take time and effort to recognise the fact that it is something that happened to you, rather than something that’s wrong with you – so please don’t ever forget that.”
“The Endeavour Fund came from seeing the gaping hole that can be left after taking off that uniform. The power that sport and adventurous challenge plays in recovery, yes; but most of all – the chance to be part of a team again while attempting to achieve unthinkable challenges – as if being shot or blown up wasn’t enough, you guys continue to impress, inspire and challenge what it means to have a life changing injury,” he continued.
The Endeavour Fund supports new ideas from women and men who want to take part in new adventures and challenges to help with their physical, psychological and social recovery and rehabilitation.
Adding, “You have wanted to push yourselves harder than you’d ever done before. Not just for the thrill, or the experience, but to prove to yourself, to your family and your mates that anything is possible when you put your mind to it. Physical strength means little without actual mental fitness, and you have proven that time and time again.”
Prince Harry went on to announce that he was looking for more opportunities to create a much closer working relationship with the Invictus Games Foundation, which is an international adaptive multi-sport event, created by the royal, in which wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel and their associated veterans take part in sporting activities.
“Invictus proves that when we bring people together from around the world – men and women who have fought together side-by-side – to have the opportunity to enhance their recovery through a shared experience of sport and challenge, is something that breaks through cultural difference, through skin colour and through bias, and is truly amazing,” he said about the upcoming collaboration.
Adding, “I know for many of you, your journey is not over. But by keeping this community together, we can do more amazing things, at a time when it is so desperately needed….and it works! I feel lucky to be able to count myself as one of you; and am deeply proud to have served among you as Captain Wales.”
The Prince ended his moving speech by telling the group that he will always have their back.
“A lot of you tonight have told me you have my back, well I’m also here to tell you, I’ve always got yours,” he said.
Right before Prince Harry made his speech, his wife Meghan Markle presented the Celebrating Excellence Award to Lee Spencer, which is given to those who have “endeavored to achieve excellence in their chosen sport or adventurous challenge,” per Endeavor Fund’s website.
“It’s very nice to be back. It’s the third year that I have had the incredible fortune of joining my husband here, and as you all know, you can feel it’s just the most inspiring space,” she said to the crowd.
“I will say when we were watching the videos all the way in Canada, I had the same moment as I do each year of, ‘How are you going to choose?’ So, we have done our best.”
The Endeavor Fund Awards mark one of Meghan and Harry’s final engagements before they officially withdraw from royal life on March 31st. Meghan and Harry have several more engagements on their schedule as they wind down their roles within the royal family.
The two are expected to appear together at the Mountbatten Festival of Music on March 6 followed by the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey alongside Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton on March 9.
The Sussexes will reportedly close their office at Buckingham Palace on April 1. The pair has been living in Canada with their 9-month-old son Archie since taking an extended break over the holidays for family time. They have previously shared their intentions to be financially independent and split time between North America and the U.K.
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