Prince Harry's 2022 Invictus Games—Everything You Need To Know

The Invictus Games is arguably Prince Harry's most important initiative and creates a platform for veterans and serving members of the armed forces to showcase their skill and resilience in the face of physical challenge.

But what are the Invictus Games and what does the 2022 tournament hold in store? Newsweek has the answers.

What Is the Invictus Games?

The Invictus Games is a tournament of physical games and challenges undertaken by wounded, injured and sick service personnel. The games take their name from William Ernest Henley's poem "Invictus," which means unconquered in Latin, and the spirit of the poem is used to illustrate what is at the heart of the games themselves.

Prince Harry was a principal figure in founding the games after visiting the U.S Warrior Games in 2013. The prince, a former member of the armed forces himself, wanted to create a platform to showcase the tenacity and awesome ability of wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women who dedicate themselves to serving and protecting their countries.

The inaugural event was held in London in 2014 and saw over 400 competitors from 13 nations take part. Subsequent games have been held in Orlando, Florida (2016), Toronto (2017) and Sydney (2018).

Where Are the Games Being Held in 2022?

The 2022 Invictus Games was originally meant to take place in 2020. Due to the coronavirus pandemic the games had to be postponed twice but will take place in 2022 in The Hague, Netherlands.

The games will be held in and around the Zuiderpark sports facilities, with tickets available for purchase by members of the public.

When Are This Year's Games Taking Place?

The games will run from April 16 to April 22 and include events such as archery, cycling, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and a Land Rover driving challenge.

Who's Going?

Over 500 athletes will be attending the games from 20 nations. These include competitors from Canada, the U.S., Great Britain, Poland, New Zealand, Australia, Afghanistan, Germany, France and Denmark.

Prince Harry is expected to be attending the games following his appearance in a humorous video promotion which was released last week. In the video, Harry practices his Dutch, signing off with: "Thank you, see you soon in The Hague."

A tweet posted by the Invictus Games Netherlands official Twitter Account also read: "Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, is getting ready for the Netherlands with some Dutch lessons. We look forward to giving him a warm welcome in #TheHague. As we all prepare for The Games, our thoughts are with Team Ukraine, as well as their friends & family. #InvictusGames"

How Can I Watch?

The Invictus Games has not currently announced whether any events or the opening ceremony will be available to stream online. However, the Invictus Games Foundation has an active YouTube channel where they post highlights from the games.

In 2021 it was announced that Netflix in association with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's production company, Archewell Productions, would produce a docu-series following the 2022 Invictus Games.

Titled The Heart of Invictus, Harry said of the series: "Since the very first Invictus Games back in 2014, we knew that each competitor would contribute in their own exceptional way to a mosaic of resilience, determination, and resolve. This series will give communities around the world a window into the moving and uplifting stories of these competitors on their path to the Netherlands next year. As Archewell Productions' first series with Netflix, in partnership with The Invictus Games Foundation, I couldn't be more excited for the journey ahead or prouder of the Invictus community for continuously inspiring global healing, human potential and continued service."

A release date for the docu-series project has not yet been announced.

What Is the Invictus Games Foundation?

The Invictus Games Foundation was established to meet the desire that the games would have a lasting legacy and a continuing positive impact on the lives of all wounded, injured and sick service personnel. Prince Harry acts as patron of the foundation which helps to select future host cities for the games as well as shaping the future development of its outreach and legacy.