Prince Harry says he ‘can’t wait’ to attend Invictus Games next month in video message

Globetrotting royal Prince Harry has today confirmed that he will be at the Invictus Games in Germany next month in a new video message to competitors as it was revealed his close friend Rita Ora will headline the closing ceremony.

The Duke of Sussex admitted he is both ‘excited and nervous’ with one month to go until the event, which begins on the day after the anniversary of the Queen’s death.

Harry, who is currently in Asia for a charity and polo tour with his best friend Nacho Figueras, will jet to Dusseldorf from LA for the event that starts on September 9 and ends on September 16.

Rita Ora will perform at the closing ceremony, where Harry is expected to give an emotional speech. Rita and Harry have been friends for years with the popstar, who is married to Taika Waititi, even attending his wedding to Meghan Markle.

In a video message recorded in his Montecito mansion before he left for Japan – but that emerged online today –  Harry insisted: ‘It’ll be the best games ever’. He also praised competitors for taking the next step on their ‘healing journey’, and insisted that the event, which he called a ‘home for respect’, is part of his own.

Grinning in the virtual call, he said: ‘I hope you are excited and probably a bit nervous. I’m both. But I can’t wait to see all of you and have the whole community together once again. It’s been too long’.

Prince Harry says he can’t wait to be at the Invictus Games in Germany next month

Harry praised competitors for taking the next step on their ‘healing journey’ – and said he is on his

A smiling Prince Harry leaves Tokyo for Singapore today as his Asian tour continues

Addressing the athletes he said: ‘You’re all on different parts of your healing journey’ before adding: ‘We all are – we always will be’.

‘Good luck for the remaining few weeks, have fun, look forward to it. Being nervous is a good thing. We have 21 nations this year and can’t wait to have every continent represented. Except Antarctica – but still working on that’, he said, laughing.

‘Thank you for your service, for your commitment, your determination in getting to this point. We are going to have a lot of fun and yeah, look forward to it. We’re ready to host you. It’s going to be the best games ever, the best games yet’.

Harry will reportedly be in Dusseldorf for the entirety of the games. Meghan is expected to attend around half of it, including Harry’s speech at the closing ceremony.

A source told the Rheinische Post that ‘this very emotional element is to be watched personally by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’.

His late grandmother the Queen died on September 8 last year. It is not yet known if Harry will head to the UK before Germany. 

Last year, the Sussexes visited the city for an official launch event for the contest, meeting officials and potential competitors, as well as athletes’ friends and family.

It was seen at the time as part of a pseudo-royal tour of the UK and Europe – where police closed junctions and set up miles of roadblocks so the couple and their entourage could avoid traffic jams.

City officials rolled out the red carpet but insisted the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was private.

They were protected by their own security team with the couple footing the bill.

Harry played an instrumental role in bringing the Games to the UK in 2014 when 300 competitors from 13 countries took part in the inaugural competition in London.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive at the town hall during the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023 – One Year To Go events, on September 06, 2022

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex react as they watch the Land Rover Driving Challenge, in The Hague in 2022

Last week palace sources denied that the Royal Family is ‘snubbing’ Harry and Meghan on the anniversary of the Queen’s death – as King Charles prepared to spend the day in quiet reflection at Balmoral. 

The Daily Mail revealed there were no plans to mark the occasion publicly involving members of the family and that His Majesty would spend the day quietly reflecting on the moment at Birkhall, his home on the Balmoral estate. 

Following claims in The Sun that the Sussexes had been left out of commemorations, a source said it was ‘simply untrue’ to say that they had been snubbed and there are no plans for any public event or for any private family gathering to mark the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death.

While various members of the family will have come and gone from Balmoral for summer holidays in the usual way, Their Majesties will be spending September 8 ‘quietly and privately’, as Queen Elizabeth used to do on anniversary of her father’s death, they stressed.

Queen Elizabeth would always spend the anniversary of her late father King George VI’s death privately at Sandringham.

But William and Kate will deliver a message to the British people about honouring the legacy of the late monarch and cast their gaze ‘forward’ to the future, a source told the Mirror.

The final details for the address are still being worked out, with decisions set to be made on whether it will made in person, on television or via social media, it is understood.

A royal source said: ‘Her Majesty’s passing was an event that truly ­signified the end of an era. The Royal Family has been in ­transition since then and following the Coronation and conclusion of the summer holidays, there will be an expectation to see what is next.’

Today’s video emerged shj departed on the next leg of his boys-only Asian tour after a two-day trip to Japan as his wife partied with friends watching Taylor Swift in LA.

The Duke of Sussex is heading to Singapore where he will play in a polo match in aid of Sentebale, his charity set up to help children and young people in Lesotho in southern Africa.

Harry is with his polo player best friend Nacho Figueras, but not accompanied by Meghan or their two children, Archie, four, and Lilibet, two. 

The old friends looked to be having a great time as they boarded a flight at Tokyo Narita, after they playfully posed in women’s sunglasses. Nacho posted on Instagram that they were ‘shopping for our wives’ – with some fans describing them as ‘real brothers’ amid the Duke’s strained relationship with Prince William.

Harry and Nacho had been at a branch of Itoya Top Drawer in midtown Tokyo, trying on Kolo eyewear which retails at $175 (£137).The store specialises in goods that ‘make travel easy’ and boasts of its ‘stylish sustainability’. As one commenter on the Instagram post put it: ‘Happy wives, happy lives!’ Another said: ‘Best duo eveeeeeeeeeer!’

Meghan, meanwhile, was seen enjoying a girls’ night out watching the final night of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Los Angeles, even though the megastar reportedly snubbed appearing on the royal’s podcast Archetypes, which ended after one season. 

The Duchess and thousands of other Swifties reportedly leapt out of her chair to sing along to ‘You Belong with Me’ after the singer told the crowd: ‘Let’s go back to high school’. The former actress was with her British friend Lucy Fraser, who featured prominently in the Sussexes’ tell-all Netflix series.

Harry and Nacho have been having fun in Japan and took part in a panel discussion staged by the International Sports Promotion Society

Harry and Nacho are playing polo in Singapore for charity

Harry’s next job is a polo match in Singapore this Saturday to raise funds for young Aids-sufferers.

Prince Harry and Nacho Figueras took time to do some shopping for their families in Tokyo today, as they were pictured posing in aviator sunglasses

In a post on Instagram Nacho Figueras wrote: ‘Shopping for our wives. A big thank you to Tokyo for your generous hospitality and kindness towards us. And of course, for your continued support of Sentebale!’

Meghan Markle is believed to have been in attendance at a Taylor Swift concert with her friend Lucy Fraser (pictured centre). Page Six claimed she was out of her chair and dancing

The Duchess of Sussex is believed to have been in the crowd for Taylor Swift’s concert in Los Angeles

Meghan was at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood while the Duke was speaking at events in Japan across the Pacific, reports Page Six.

And now he is heading to Singapore. 

Harry will play on the Royal Salute Sentebale Team at the Singapore Polo Club. 

Nacho, is friend and Sentebale ambassador, will captain the Singapore Polo Club Team. 

The Sentebale Polo Cup is returning to Singapore for the first time since 2017.

The event, held since 2010, has raised £11million ($14m) in that time.

The 38-year-old prince touched down in Japan on Tuesday, where he received a warm welcome and later told an audience he would ‘happily live here if you’d have me’. 

The Duke, who praised the ‘warmth, compassion and generosity’ of the Japanese people, made the comments during the summit organised by the International Sports Promotion Society (ISPS) on Wednesday.

Harry and Nacho spoke at the summit about their charity Sentebale, which helps children and young people affected by HIV and AIDS in southern Africa.

And this morning they seemed to have swapped work for play, as they went shopping for their families in Tokyo. 

The pair were seen posing in aviator sunglasses for a photo with the caption: ‘Shopping for our wives. A big thank you to Tokyo for your generous hospitality and kindness towards us. And of course, for your continued support of Sentebale!’

When he arrived at the summit in Tokyo Harry was greeted with rapturous applause after saying: ‘Well, firstly, hello everybody.’

The beaming 38-year-old son of King Charles III told the crowd: ‘I’ve been involved in many charities for most of my life and I get a huge amount of fulfilment giving back to as many people as possible. My life is charity, always has been, always will be.’

Taylor Swift performs at the SoFi Stadium in LA last night – watched by fans including the Duchess of Sussex

Stars packed out the crowd for the last show of her record breaking tour

ISPS Handa’s founder Haruhisa Handa and Prince Harry laugh while talking in Tokyo on Tuesday