Prince Harry playfully reprimanded attendees at his Invictus Games reception, humorously suggesting they might have been tipsy by the time he arrived after meeting with King Charles.
The 40-year-old Duke of Sussex took the stage at The Gherkin in London on Wednesday to present a speech about the future decade of his Invictus initiative.
Wearing a black suit paired with a polka dot tie and featuring an Invictus Games pin on his lapel, Harry appeared in high spirits as he highlighted the significant successes of his organization, which supports injured service members and veterans since its inception in 2014.
He arrived at the gathering 40 minutes late, having just come from a private 55-minute tea with the King.
But he didn’t let the scheduling mishap derail him and took to the stage to deliver his speech.
While reciting accomplishments of the Invictus Games, such as the winter event in Whistler, Canada, someone in the audience sneezed.
Without missing a beat Harry said ‘bless you’ before carrying on with his speech.
This prompted laughter among the audience and a spontaneous burst of applause that caught Harry off guard, leading him to joke that they must be inebriated.
Prince Harry, 40, scolded guests at his Invictus Games reception at the Gherkin in London yesterday and joked they were already drunk by the time he arrived
At the event Harry set out the key achievements of his charity which he launched in 2014 to support injured service personnel and veterans
After the impromptu comic moment in response to an audience member’s sneeze, Prince Harry returned to his speech, thanking the audience for supporting the Invictus Foundation
Reacting to the applause he said: ‘Oh that does not deserve a round of applause, surely. Surely, this is what i’m talking about.
‘You see, you’ve been up here too long.’
The Duke of Sussex then acknowledged that his speech had been slightly delayed due to a meeting with his father King Charles and cheekily joked that the audience must have had a lot to drink waiting for him to arrive.
He said: ‘I think this whole thing has been delayed slightly so at this point you’re probably hammered.
‘Which was part of the plan all along – stuck up here at the top of the Gherkin.’
After the impromptu comic moment, Prince Harry returned to his speech, thanking the audience for supporting the Invictus Foundation.
He added: ‘It’s wonderful to be here with you tonight and I do want to begin with a heartfelt thank you.
‘Many of you have been supporters of the Invictus Games Foundation from its earliest days, while others are joining this community for the first time.
Prince Harry pictured at the inaugural Invictus Horizons reception as part of his Invictus Games Foundation – a charity set up in 2014 to support injured servicemen
The prince arrived at the event 40 minutes later than planned after travelling directly from a private tea with the Monarch, which lasted for 55 minutes
‘To all of you, welcome, and thank you for believing in what we do and how we do it.
Harry’s speech took a more serious turn when he said: ‘We live in a time when conflicts rage across the globe, when anger and resentment towards those who are different can feel overwhelming.
‘The Invictus community stands as a direct challenge to that. We prove that unity is not just possible, but formidable. That the bonds of courage, respect and humanity are stronger than the divisions of politics, background, or nationality.
‘Our ambition for the future is clear: we will focus where the need is great, we will strengthen the international community we have already built, and we will continue to drive systemic change – ensuring that wounded, injured, and sick service personnel everywhere can find recovery through sport, rehabilitation, and the support of community.’
As a former army officer the duke was inspired to found the global tournament for injured and wounded servicemen and women and veterans after seeing a similar sporting spectacle staged in America which aided the rehabilitation of competitors.
A year after visiting Colorado Harry staged the first Invictus Games in London’s Olympic Park in 2014 to widespread acclaim.
Harry went on to stage the Games in Orlando in 2016, Toronto 2017, Sydney 2018, The Hague 2020, Düsseldorf (2023), and Vancouver-Whistler (2025) with Birmingham due to host the event in 2027.
Prince Harry’s comments come after his first meeting with the King in 19 months – the last time the two saw each other was when the Duke flew to the UK to see Charles in February 2024.
Harry’s meeting with King Charles (pictured) was their first meeting in 19 months – he last time the two saw each other was when the Duke flew to the UK to see Charles in February 2024
Prince Harry arrived at Clarence House, London, after his father King Charles
He was then spotted leaving the royal residence around 55 minutes later (pictured) after meeting his father for tea
Yesterday the Duke was spotted being driven into the royal residence in a black Range Rover at 5.20pm before leaving in the same car at around 6.15pm.
The King was seen arriving at Clarence House at 4pm, having landed at RAF Northolt at around 3pm following a flight from Aberdeen Airport. Charles met with Holocaust survivor Manfred Goldberg, where he was invested with an MBE.
Charles had flown to the capital after a stay at Balmoral in Aberdeenshire, raising the possibility of a meeting with Harry during his son’s four-day stay in Britain.
Harry was due to arrive at the Invictus reception at 6.45pm but organisers said he was running late, before he finally arrived at 7.24pm.
It is believed the Duke travelled to the event straight after seeing his father but traffic has been very heavy in central London this week due to an ongoing Tube strike.
The Duke is one the final day of a four-day trip to the UK, carrying out a string of solo charity visits, but until yesterday had not seen the King or his brother William.
Harry is reported to have not been offered a place at a royal palace and is said to be staying at a hotel at his own expense.
The duke’s visit came on the third day of his rare four-day trip to the UK (pictured leaving the Centre For Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College London following a visit)
The Duke has previously spoken of his hopes for a ‘reconciliation’ with his family, saying: ‘Of course, some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book. Of course, they will never forgive me for lots of things.’
He added: ‘But you know, I would love reconciliation with my family,’ and said there was ‘no point in continuing to fight anymore’.
Senior aides to the King and the duke were pictured together in London this July in what was reported to be an initial step towards opening channels of communication between the two sides.
William kept apart from his brother and instead visited a new mental health hub in Cardiff on World Suicide Prevention Day.
