Prince Harry's warm reception from the Invictus Games community in Düsseldorf, Germany, this week shows that within that community he still enjoys the "universal popularity" which he formerly had with the British public, a morning show has heard.
Harry traveled to Germany on September 8, having made a short visit to Britain where he attended an awards show for one of his charities. The prince also privately marked the one-year anniversary of the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, though notably did not meet with either King Charles III or Prince William.
The prince has seen his popularity in Britain decline in the years since his dramatic split from the monarchy in 2020 with Meghan Markle. After the release of his behind-palace-walls Netflix show last December and memoir in January, the royal's popularity sank to its lowest level ever on either side of the Atlantic.
This has started to see a tide change in recent months, however, the days where the prince was once more popular among Brits than the late Queen Elizabeth are long since over.
On Saturday, the public was reminded that despite negative feeling in his home country, Harry is still widely loved among the Invictus Games veterans and their families.
When he gave a speech during the 2023 Games opening ceremony, he was met with a standing ovation from thousands of spectators.
Speaking about this reception with Sky News anchor Jayne Secker on Monday, Newsweek's chief royal correspondent Jack Royston noted how Harry has maintained the support of the Invictus community, which he co-founded in 2014.
"He's come back to basically a place where he still enjoys the kind of universal popularity in this Invictus Games community that he enjoyed in Britain before he quit the royal family," Royston said.
"He's become a bit of a hate figure in Britain, he's more liked in America but is still divisive, but in this little bubble of the Invictus Games he is adored, exactly like old times in Britain and they really respect and love him for what he's done for them in creating this tournament."
The Invictus Games is a sporting event which provides an international platform for wounded, sick or injured veterans to display their mental and physical achievements.
The games is Harry's most important working output and in August was the focus of his latest content creation project for Netflix, forming a five-part docuseries titled Heart of Invictus.
During his speech at the opening ceremony in Düsseldorf, Harry praised the spirit and drive of this year's competitors, as well as their stalwart dedication to serving others.
"In your joy, in your happiness, in your achievement, we all benefit," he said.
The prince also jokingly welcomed nations competing for the first time this year, notably, Nigeria.
"Now, I'm not saying we play favorites in our home," he announced. "But since my wife discovered that she is of Nigerian descent its likely to get a little bit more competitive this year."
In 2022, Meghan revealed on her Archetypes podcast that she had discovered through genealogical research that she was 43 percent Nigerian, in a discussion with celebrity interviewer and internet personality Ziwe Fumudoh.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
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