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In their first public appearance together outside of the U.S. in over two years, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan made sure to keep the focus on the Invictus Games athletes during the event’s reception in the Netherlands.
On Friday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended a special event for competitors and their family members on the competition grounds ahead of the week-long sporting event for injured, wounded and sick military personnel and veterans.
They joined hundreds of service men and women from 20 different countries taking part in the games, including wheelchair basketball competitor and Royal Navy veteran Fenna Guegjes from the Netherlands team, who escorted the couple into the venue.
As the temperature dropped at the start of the evening, and they prepared to walk across the grounds, Meghan noticed that Guegjes’ wife, Bertine Schuurhuis, was worried about her newborn baby, Lieva, getting cold. The duchess then handed her her camel coat, which she had worn over her white Valentino suit, and placed it around the new mom, who had her daughter strapped to her front in a baby carrier. Gugejes’ brother, Argil, who also walked with the couple, later commented on the duchess’ kind act. “They are both very kind and respectful people,” he said. “They are both extremely down to earth and caring.”
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Inside the event—which saw the Sussexes greeted by The Hague Mayor Jan van Zanen and Invictus Games’ Netherlands chairman, Mart de Kruif—the pair were eager to meet as many of the competitors as possible. “It’s incredible. It gets bigger every year,” Harry, the founder of the games, proudly said to Netherlands State Secretary for Defense Christophe van der Maat.
At the reception, Harry gave a speech on the importance of celebrating everyone in the room. “For the men, women, mums, dads, sons and daughters who have served, and have been wounded, injured or fallen ill, there is nothing that compares to seeing them rediscover their ability to do whatever they put their minds to,” he said. “And there is nothing like seeing you as families watch proudly from the stands. So finally, and most importantly, I want to thank all of you—the family and the friends. We couldn’t do this without you. And in many cases, we wouldn’t be here without you.”
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Prince Harry also took time to chat and take pictures with a number of teams taking part in the competition, including para-athlete cyclist Joeri Rousseau, who quickly called over a number of his Team Belgium mates for a photo.
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The Sussexes also stopped to chat with the Romaninan team, who were photographed laughing and joking with the couple. And Harry received what has now become a traditional Invictus gag gift from the Australian team: a pair of “budgie smuggler” swim trunks. It’s the third time the competitors from Down Under have presented the duke with a pair. “These get smaller every time!” he jokingly grimaced as he held them up.
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Prior to the couple’s arrival, Harry and Meghan had spent time meeting Team USA and Ukraine competitors at a special welcome party organized by the The Hague’s US Embassy. Ukraine team manger Oksana Horback told BAZAAR.com that the couple’s attendance meant a lot to the teammates who arrived in The Hague earlier this week.
“I spoke with Meghan about the importance of the nations, especially the Ukraine, having a platform to share their stories and their words with the rest of the world,” she said. “Harry said he totally supports Ukraine and that we will quickly see just how much support there is here for us within the Invictus Community.”
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At the reception, the Sussexes also spent time with the large White House delegation who flew in for the Invictus Games this weekend. The couple were seen talking with with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and husband Chasten Buttigieg, Under Secretary of the Air Force Gina Oritz Jones, Senator Tammy Duckworth and several others.
On Saturday, the Sussexes will speak on stage at the opening ceremony for the Invictus Games, ahead of the first events on Sunday, which they plan on attending throughout the day.
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Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Spend Time With Invictus Games Competitors In The Netherlands
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