Prince Harry says Taliban resurgence resonates with Invictus Games community

In his capacity as founder of the Invictus Games Foundation, Prince Harry said the situation in Afghanistan “resonates” with former servicemen.

The Invictus Games, which first took place in 2014 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, helps soldiers through their recovery via international sports competitions.

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The Duke of Sussex spent ten years in the army, which included two frontline tours of Afghanistan.

Amid the Taliban’s seizure of power in Afghanistan - two weeks before the US was set to complete its troop withdrawal – Harry issued a joint statement with senior figures from The Invictus Games.

In his capacity as founder of the Invictus Games Foundation, Prince Harry said the situation in Afghanistan “resonates” with past participants

The statement read: “What’s happening in Afghanistan resonates across the international Invictus community.

“Many of the participating nations and competitors in the Invictus Games family are bound by a shared experience of serving in Afghanistan over the past two decades, and for several years, we have competed alongside Invictus Games Team Afghanistan.

“We encourage everybody across the Invictus network – and the wider military community – to reach out to each other and offer support for one another.”

The Invictus Games has been postponed for two years running due to Covid-19, with the next competition is due to be held in the Hague, Holland, in 2022.

Organisers considered staging the event for sick, wounded and injured veterans and serving military later in the year, and even digitally, but wanted to preserve the experience for competitors and provide them with certainty.

Harry was inspired to create the sporting tournament after attending the Warrior Games in Colorado in 2013, where he saw how injured military personnel thrived on the challenge of taking part in competitive sports that aided their recovery.

In his capacity as founder of the Invictus Games Foundation, Prince Harry said the situation in Afghanistan “resonates” with past participants

Prince Harry passed his regular commissions board - the qualification necessary to train at Sandhurst - in September 2004.

After completing a period of work experience, Harry entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in May 2005 to begin his training as an officer cadet.

During the 44-week training course, Harry was known as Officer Cadet Wales.

In January 2006, Clarence House announced that Harry was to join the Blues and Royals.

Following the successful completion of the troop leaders’ course, he was commissioned as an army officer on in April 2006.

In 2008, The Ministry of Defence confirmed that Harry had been serving with the British Army in Helmand, Afghanistan, for more than two months.

Later that year, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant with The Household Cavalry.

He eventually rose to the rank of captain.