Prince Harry is looking back on a sweet memory with Meghan Markle when she was pregnant with their first child, Prince Archie.
“Every Invictus Games creates incredible experiences and holds special memories for everyone involved,” the Duke of Sussex, 40, exclusively told Us Weekly during the semi-final volleyball game between Team U.K. and Team Nigeria at the Invictus Games earlier this month. “My wife has been part of this community since shortly after the Orlando Games in 2016 and has loved every minute of it.”
One of the fondest memories Harry has with Meghan, 43, is from the 2018 Invictus Games in Sydney, Australia. The event took place when the Duchess of Sussex, whom he wed in May 2018, was pregnant with Archie, now 5.
“There are so many special memories, but I’ll never forget the bear hug I received from Rob out on Sydney Harbor — and my genuine concern that he might try the same with my wife, who was pregnant at the time!” he recalled. “There truly is no better place to be than among these incredible individuals and their families.”
For this year’s games, Meghan was by Harry’s side for a few events in Vancouver before she returned home to Archie and 3-year-old daughter Lilibet. While Meghan couldn’t be present for the entirety of the games, she showed her support for her husband via her newly-launched social media page.
“The Instagram shoutout was very sweet and much appreciated!” Harry told Us.
Harry launched the Invictus Games back in 2014 as a competition for injured, wounded or sick active military members and veterans. The idea came to him following his own military experience.
“They will continue to have bad days,” Harry said of his fellow vets at the competition, some of whom he served with in Afghanistan. “But for this week, the bad days are very limited … because they realize that they’re not isolated, they’re not alone. Everybody around them is carrying something. Once you put all these guys and girls in the same arena, they start sharing each other’s stories and realize that … there’s nothing wrong with them.”
The next Invictus Games will take place in 2027 across the pond in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
“Birmingham for us, is a very, very emotionally connected place,” Harry explained. “A lot of these guys, they woke up in Birmingham after being blown up in Afghanistan.”
For more on Prince Harry, pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.
