Getty ImagesThe Duke of Sussex called on competitors to overcome a “moment of difficulty and division in many parts of the world” as he opened the latest edition of the Invictus Games in Canada.
Prince Harry appeared at the opening ceremony in Vancouver with his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan, on Saturday.
The couple watched from the stands, cheering and clapping for the UK’s team as their competitors walked on the stage.
Their public appearance comes just hours after US President Donald Trump spoke about the couple in an interview, saying “I’ll leave him alone” when asked whether he thought Prince Harry should be deported.
“He’s got enough problems with his wife,” the president added. “She’s terrible.”
The prince founded the Invictus Games in London in 2014.
This year marks the 7th edition of the competition for wounded military veterans, which will include more than 500 athletes competing in 11 different events, including for the first time winter sports.
The ceremony included musical performances by Katy Perry, Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Nelly Furtado.
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Reuters“We gather here in Vancouver in a spirit of unity,” Prince Harry told the crowd of 40,000.
Beyond any differences, here at the Invictus Games we are grounded in mutual respect, competing fiercely, but believing in one another.”
“Over the past decade I’ve lost count of the times we’ve heard you tell us that the Invictus Games saved you. Respectfully, I disagree. Invictus didn’t save you. You saved yourself,” the duke told the competitors.
Trump says ‘I’ll leave Harry alone’
Earlier, US President Donald Trump told the New York Post that he would not be in favour of deporting the prince, who moved to the US in 2020.
Some activists have questioned the Duke of Sussex’s US visa status after he admitted previously taking illegal drugs in his memoir, Spare.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, filed a lawsuit asking for the duke’s immigration records, suggesting he had lied on his visa form or was given special treatment when he and the duchess moved to Southern California in 2020.
Trump has previously suggested that if Prince Harry was found to have lied “appropriate action” would be needed.
But when asked on Friday by the New York Post whether the duke would be deported, Trump said: “I don’t want to do that. I’ll leave him alone.
“He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible.”
Former actress Meghan has been a vocal critic of Trump, calling him “divisive” and a “misogynist”, while Trump has previously called Meghan “nasty”.
In the interview, the president also praised Prince Harry’s older brother, Prince William, “a great young man”.
Admitting past drug use does not automatically result denial of a US visa, but it can cause delays, and lying on a visa form can lead to deportation.
US presidents do not normally get involved in individual visa decisions. The couple have not responded to Trump’s comments.
Getty ImagesThe duke was inspired to set up the games after seeing the 2013 Warrior Games in the US, where injured and retired service personnel competed.
The first edition of the games was held in London in 2014, with subsequent competitions being held in the US, Canada, and Australia.
The 2017 games was also where Prince Harry was pictured with his then-girlfriend Meghan for the first time.
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