Prince Harry supported a cause close to his heart as he attended a charity dinner in London on Thursday night. The 28-year-old prince, who is a Patron of the Walking With The Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge, attended the charity's Crystal Ball gala dinner, hosted by explorer Ben Fogle. "Tonight is all about creating opportunities," the charming royal said in an off-the-cuff speech before dinner at the swish Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane.
The evening included entertainment from Ellie Goulding, whom Harry will be familiar with given that she performed at William and Kate's wedding reception, and The Stereophonics. In November and December, Harry's support for the charity will go one step further when he joins three teams of wounded servicemen and women in a race to the South Pole. Harry and his teammates, who all have either physical or cognitive injuries sustained in the line of duty, will cover more than 200 miles in total. They face treks of around 10 miles per day through temperatures as low as -45°C and battling 50mph winds as while pulling heavy sledges. The expedition aims to highlight the extraordinary courage and determination of the men and women who have been wounded while serving our countries.
As an Apache helicopter co-pilot in the Army Air Corps, Harry is no doubt all too aware of the risks and challenges faced by troops. Much of the uncle-to-be's charity work involves supporting injured servicemen and women. "He is a soldiers' soldier and will bring a spotlight on what's being done to help these outstanding men and women," said Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, his private secretary, ahead of recent solo tour to the US. During his seven-day visit he visited Arlington Cemetery, Virginia where he paid tribute to US troops who had lost their lives in recent conflicts. After visiting the cemetery, Harry made his way to the Walter Reed National Military Medical centre, where he was given a tour of the prosthetics and rehabilitation centre for service personnel. Later in the tour, Harry watched Britain compete for the first time in the Warrior Games, a Paralympic-style competition for injured servicemen and women. Harry, who met competitors last year, is known to be a big fan of the event and its cause. He returned from his second tour of Afghanistan in January.