The Invictus Games military sports event has become one of Prince Harry's most impactful social projects, creating meaningful change in veteran communities around the world.
The events have attracted the world's press and social media attention since their founding in 2014, helped by the regular support and promotion of co-founder Harry.
Here, Newsweek looks at everything you need to know about Prince Harry's Invictus Games.
What Are the Invictus Games?
The Invictus Games are a sports tournament held on average every two years in a major world city to provide wounded, sick and injured veterans with an international platform to showcase their mental and physical rehabilitation.
The games feature a roster of adaptive individual and team sports, including sitting volleyball, swimming, athletics, and wheelchair rugby.
National teams of athletes are sent from over 20 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Denmark, Poland, Nigeria, Ukraine and Afghanistan.
How Is Prince Harry Involved With the Games?
Prince Harry is heavily involved with the Invictus Games and co-founded the event in 2014 while he was working with the Royal Foundation (which he then shared with Prince William and Princess Kate).
Harry is both the founder and patron of the Invictus Games and Invictus Games Foundation. He attends governance meetings, engages in fundraising activities, and meets and maintains relationships with the veteran community that the games serve.
The prince attends the games each time they are held, traditionally making speeches at the opening and closing ceremonies, which are large events usually featuring popular musical artists and performances.
Since 2017, the prince's now wife, Meghan Markle, has attended the games on select days.
In 2023, Harry released a docuseries through Netflix titled Heart of Invictus. The five-episode show followed veterans on their journeys to compete in the 2022 games which were held in the Netherlands.
Are the Invictus Games Linked to the Warrior Games?
Prince Harry credits getting the idea for the Invictus Games from a visit he made to the Warrior Games during a 2013 trip to the United States.
The Warrior Games (later called The Warrior Games Challenge) were founded in 2010 to celebrate the mental and physical achievements of wounded U.S. Army veterans through sporting endeavors.
After spending time with competitors and organizers in Colorado, Harry said in his memoir Spare that he "kept going over those games in my mind, wondering if we could do something similar in Britain."
The Invictus Games were born and first took place in London in 2014, welcoming competitors from around the globe.
There are no formal links between the two institutions, however, Harry has kept up his support for the Warrior Games, being photographed attending the 2023 event in San Diego, California.
What Is the Invictus Games Foundation?
The Invictus Games Foundation is the charitable organization that governs and oversees the Invictus Games brand. It plays an important role in selecting the host cities for the games and fundraises for their activities.
When Are the Next Invictus Games?
The next Invictus Games will be held in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada, from February 8 to 16, 2025.
This will be the second time Canada has hosted the games, with Toronto being a host city back in 2017.
The 2025 games will be the first to include winter sports in its roster of activities.
Bids are currently underway for Birmingham in England and Washington, D.C., to host the 2027 games. An announcement as to which city has been successful in its bid is expected to be made in July 2024.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly 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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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
