Guten tag! Prince Harry took to social media on June 9 to reveal some exciting news about the Invictus Games: Düsseldorf, Germany will host the 2023 competition!
The Invictus Games Twitter account shared a video of the Duke of Sussex in which he excitedly announced, "something big is coming, Germany." The northwestern city on the Rhine, known for its plethora of universities and its influence on electronic music, will host the Invictus Games from Sept. 9 to 16, 2023. Glückwunsch, Düsseldorf! (That means "congratulations," if you didn't already know!)
Earlier this year, it was revealed the 2021 Invictus Games had been postponed to April 16-22, 2022. They'll still be held in The Hague, Netherlands.
While the situation with the coronavirus pandemic is still touch-and-go in much of the world, there is new optimism with increased COVID-19 vaccinations in some countries and a corresponding drop in new infections. That said, the risk from the variant known as Delta – which was first discovered in India – remains a concern, as does the lack of vaccinations in many parts of the world. A U.K. epidemiologist recently estimated the Delta variant is 60 per cent more transmissible than the original coronavirus variant that emerged in early 2020.
Harry speaks with Invictus athletes in 2017. Photo: © Getty Images
It's good to see Harry making plans for beyond next year, though, since like all of us, he clearly wants to move beyond the pandemic and start returning to doing one of the things he loves. Harry and Meghan have been very involved with campaigning for vaccine equity – ensuring everyone eligible for a COVID-19 inoculation can get immunized, no matter where they are in the world.
In May, they both appeared during VAX LIVE, a concert supporting the COVAX vaccine sharing initiative and urged fans to donate to Global Citizen's campaign. We wouldn't be surprised if we see the Sussexes continuing to make contributions in this area, since it's very important to get everyone immunized to avoid new variants emerging.
Harry and Meghan at the Invictus Games in Toronto in 2017. Photo: © Karwai Tang/WireImage
Harry founded the Invictus Games in 2014. It gives wounded, injured or sick service members and veterans the opportunity to participate in sport and use its powers to help them recover. It was held in London in 2014, Orlando in 2016, Toronto in 2017 and Sydney as part of Harry and Meghan's tour of Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Tonga the next year. Harry and Meghan also made their public debut as a couple at the 2017 games.
Harry and Meghan are both currently on paternity leave after having welcomed their daughter, Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor on June 4. This is a big week for them in another way, since the Duchess of Sussex has just released her debut children's book, The Bench, which is inspired by Harry's relationship with their son Archie, and features lovely illustrations that appear to represent the family of four.