Is Prince Harry Still Head of Invictus Games?

Prince Harry is the patron and founder of the Invictus Games and the Invictus Games Foundation, having been inspired to start the veterans' sports project in 2014.

The prince developed the idea of the Invictus Games having witnessed the 2013 Warrior Games during a visit to the U.S., and the first Invictus Games were held in London the following year.

The games aim to provide a platform on which to demonstrate the mental and physical fitness of wounded, sick or injured armed forces servicemen and women, who compete in team and individual sports events over a period of several days.

Harry maintained his working relationship with Invictus when he stepped down from his official role within the royal family, alongside wife Meghan Markle, in 2020 and moved to the U.S.

His role as founder and patron is unchanged.

What Is Prince Harry's Role With the Invictus Games and Invictus Games Foundation?

As the founder and patron, Harry supports the Invictus Games event and Invictus Games Foundation in a number of ways, from promoting them on the world stage to fundraising and shaping their direction.

On the official foundation website, it states that the prince: "Sees the Games as an important part of a broader legacy of support, through a combination of ongoing care, training and employment opportunities, to the well-being of those men and women who have served their country."

In 2021, CEO Dominic Reid established that the royal's links with Invictus hadn't changed following the Sussexes decision to step away from their roles within the monarchy in Britain.

"We are proud to have The Duke of Sussex as our Patron," he said at the time.

"The Invictus Games was founded by him, it has been built on his ideas and he remains fully committed to both the Games and to the Invictus Games Foundation.

"His military service and experience, combined with his genuine compassion and understanding for those who serve their countries has raised awareness of wounded, injured and sick service personnel and the role they continue to play in society," he continued.

"His work has had an extraordinary impact on the way in which disability, service, and mental health is viewed around the world. And he has been instrumental in changing the lives of many."

A spokesperson for the Invictus Games Foundation told Newsweek that the royal's relationship with the organization remains committed, and reinforced the 2021 comments by Reid.

"The Duke of Sussex is Patron of the Invictus Games Foundation," they said. "He remains as involved as ever, and we echo our comments made at the time."

How Many Invictus Games Have There Been?

To date, there have been five Invictus Games events, with Prince Harry attending each in a different city around the world.

Like the Olympic Games, the Invictus Games host city changes each time. The first, in 2014, was hosted in London where a number of the prince's family members including Prince William and Prince Charles also attended.

The 2016 games were held in Orlando, FL where then-first lady Michelle Obama gave an opening address, and the 2017 games were held in Toronto, Canada.

The 2017 games were the first to be attended by Meghan Markle, then Harry's girlfriend who was living in Toronto where her hit TV show Suits was filmed.

Since then, Meghan has attended each of the subsequent events, including the 2018 games in Sydney and the 2022 games in The Hague, The Netherlands.

The next event will be held in Düsseldorf, Germany, and in 2025 it will include winter sports for the first time, returning to Canada to be held in Vancouver and Whistler.

What is the Invictus Games Foundation?

The Invictus Games Foundation is the organization that overseas the Invictus Games brand, plays a role in selecting the host city each year and develops and maintains the lasting legacy of the games, including looking out for the wellbeing of past and present participants.

In April 2022, to coincide with the Invictus Games in The Netherlands, Harry announced that the foundation would be partnering with BetterUp, the digital mental health coaching business of which he was appointed chief impact officer in 2021.

The business announced that the partnership would "support service members from around the world and empower them as they transition from military to civilian life."

Through the partnership, BetterUp's coaching services would be made available to all participants in the Invictus Games to provide tools for personal development.

"I couldn't think of a better new partner for the Invictus Games Foundation than the mental fitness platform BetterUp," Harry said at the time. "The mind is like a muscle: it needs to be honed, trained, rehabbed and coached."

"The men and women I served with understand this, the Invictus community knows this, and now the world is beginning to see it too.

"I'm honoured to bring the work we do at BetterUp to Invictus and look forward to expanding the support systems that service members and veterans depend on to achieve remarkable feats."

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