Prince Harry and U.S. first lady Jill Biden might be an unlikely duo, but the pair teamed up to support wounded veterans – a cause near and dear to both their hearts.
On Monday, Harry and Biden co-hosted a virtual event held over Zoom to meet with those who would have taken part in this year’s Warrior Games. The 2021 Warrior Games, hosted by the U.S. Army, was meant to be held in Orlando, Florida, this month but was canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“To see every single one of you here with the pride on your faces makes me incredibly happy to know how far you guys have come, the dark places that you’ve been to, and where you are now,” Harry added. “Thank you for inspiring us. Thank you for showing us the way.”
The Duke of Sussex, who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan, was meant to attend the event before its cancellation.
Instead, he told the athletes virtually that the Invictus Games, a sporting event he founded for wounded active service members and veterans, “never would have been created had I not been inspired by every single one of you.”
And despite the British Armed Forces and the U.S. Military being separate organizations, Biden said during the event, “Your brothers and sisters-in-arms are connected by something so much deeper than the borders that separate us. You’ve dedicated your time, talents, and heart to lifting up service members from around the globe.”
Also appearing in the virtual conference were U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and CEO of Fisher House Foundation Ken Fisher.