Prince Harry delivered a message from his grandmother the Queen in the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games on Sunday evening, the day before he turned 30.The fourth-in-line to the throne looked delighted to be reading the letter, in which Her Majesty personally congratulated the Invictus athletes, to the crowd of more than 25,000.
"Prince Philip and I send our heartfelt congratulations to the organisers and supporters of this competition, and most importantly to you men and women of the Armed Forces who have overcome great adversity just to take part in these Games," read Harry on behalf of the Queen. The letter continued: "As I have followed the competition over the past four days, I have been deeply moved by your courage, determination and talent. "All of you have used the power of sport to enhance your own recovery and to raise wider awareness of the enormous challenges faced by wounded veterans."
Harry told the crowds that he would be celebrating his 30th birthday early
She added: "The success of these games can be measured not by medals won, but by the renewed sense of purpose and confidence in your abilities that you have gained. The Queen concluded: "I send my warmest good wishes and congratulations to you all." Harry, who has been the driving force behind the sporting event for wounded and sick service personnel, said in his own speech: "These games have shone a spotlight on the unconquerable character of servicemen and women and their families – their invictus spirit."
In her message, the Queen shared her 'heartfelt congratulations' with the Invictues athletes
He also told the crowd that he would be kicking off his birthday celebrations early, by having a drink with Britain's Invictus team captain and double amputee, Dave Henson, who, like the prince, turns 30 on Monday. "On the birthday side of things, I'll be chuffed to bits when I'm having a beer with Dave Henson … we turn 30 at exactly the same time, on Sunday night. We're really looking forward to being 30, both feeling quite old about it," said a smiling Harry. The Invictus Games saw more than 400 wounded servicemen and women, veterans and those still serving, compete in a range of sports, from wheelchair basketball to track and field events, at the former Olympic Park and the Lee Valley Sports Centre.
Jaguar Land Rover are the official presenting partner of The Invictus Games. Visit www.jaguarlandrover.com for more information.
