You don’t need to rely on a uniform because you have everything in you, Harry says after being stripped of Royal titles
PRINCE Harry appeared to mock the royal family’s decision to ban him from wearing a military uniform in the wake of Megxit.
Meghan Markle looked lovingly at her husband as he finished his Invictus Games and recalled his love of the bagpipes in a nod to the late queen.
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Afghan veteran Harry was left distraught after he was banned from wearing his ceremonial military uniform because he is no longer a working royal.
prince William and other royals wore morning clothes Suits instead at Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021 to spare Harry’s blushes.
But he was allowed – against protocol – to don his Blues and Royals No. 1 uniform and medals for a vigil at the late Queen Elizabeth II’s vigil at Westminster Hall last September.
When he and Meghan resigned, he was stripped of his military titles, including that of captain general of the Royal Marines.
The royal move is believed to have angered the prince who created it the games for wounded former soldiers.
Harry, 39, took the stage in Düsseldorf at a star-studded party including pop princess Rita Ora and Eurovision star Sam Ryder, as well as German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Meg didn’t accompany Harry on stage, but instead sat in the stadium in a teal Cult Gaia dress and watched, transfixed.
Harry told attendees: “So many of you have told me that it hit you right here. For many of you, the uniform you wore last week will tell a new story.”
“And for others, it might bring new meaning to your old uniform.
“But I’m here to remind you that after all this, you don’t have to rely on a uniform and you shouldn’t feel lost without one. Because everything you need is already within you.”
At the conclusion of his games, he deliberately avoided mentioning the royal family or Meghan and her two children – in a speech written to focus on the competitors.
But he did slip in a ditty about his royal life, saying: “Some of you may know what bagpipes mean to me.”
The prince opened his speech with “Thank you Schön,” which means “thank you” in German, and received a standing ovation from the crowd.
He said: “As you have seen and experienced, this week is so much more than a sporting event.”
“It is a platform for positive change. The wave of respect can be felt everywhere and we hope that you too feel it deeply.”
“And I’m sure you’re all physically exhausted – who wouldn’t be? But I hope you are mentally stronger than when you arrived.”
“We may have provided the platform, but you provided the magic. And never forget that.”
“We have all experienced the true impact of sport on your recovery and post-traumatic growth.
“But you will never truly know the impact your actions this week have had on millions of people around the world.
“They opened people up heartsthrough your vulnerability, through your resilience and through your sheer ability.
“You showed us that joy can come from struggle, and for that we are eternally grateful.
“A week ago I stood here and told you how important it is to be able to carry your country’s flag again.
“So many of you have told me that it hit you right here. For many of you, the uniform you wore last week will tell a new story.”
“And for others, it might bring new meaning to your old uniform.
“But I’m here to remind you that after all this, you don’t have to rely on a uniform and you shouldn’t feel lost without one. Because everything you need is already within you.”
“Tomorrow each of you will go home with memories that are different and unique to you. But I hope that each memory brings a smile to your face, a sense of belonging, and an opportunity for you and your family to look forward to.” Proud and with intention.
“Yesterday I met with Master Corporal James Gendron from Team Canada in the Invictus 2025 tent. As we talked, I noticed bagpipes lying on the floor in the back corner.
“Some of you may know what bagpipes mean to me, so I couldn’t help but hope they would be played.”
“Little did I know that thirty minutes later it would be James who would pick them up and offer them up to play with – and yet I had NO idea what they meant to him.”
“I didn’t know what memories they triggered for him either. In Afghanistan he played 63 ramp ceremonies. For 63 coffins. For 63 souls. For 63 families.”
“After the last ceremony, he wasn’t allowed to touch her for four years.
“This week he wasn’t sure he could bring himself to play against them. But he did.”
“What once haunted him, I dare say, may now be what helps him heal.”
“Thank you, James, for your service, for your courage, for sharing your gift.
“So many of you and your loved ones have been in the darkest places imaginable. But your mission to heal and grow has been a shining example to all of us.”
“You showed us Performance The idea is to define people not by assumptions, their backstory, or past pain, but rather by their abilities, how they perform, and who they are in the present.
“After this week, know that you all are leading the way when it comes to defining human potential and human decency.
“We value you, we need you and so does the world.”
“Next year – we have a lot to look forward to – 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games Foundation – yes, 10 years. And then it’s on to Vancouver Whistler 2025…keep going.”
Harry had written extensively about bagpipes, which play a major role in the life of the royal family, in his book Spare.
Lone pipers also played at the funeral of the late Queen and Prince Philip.
Pipe Major Paul Burns played a haunting lament at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor a year ago Tuesday to signal the end of Queen Elizabeth II’s imprisonment
And in April 2021 Pipe Major Color Sergeant Peter Grant played Flowers of the Forest as his coffin was lowered into a vault in the chapel.
In his memoirs, Spare wrote of the morning at Balmoral that his father told him that Diana had died: “I must have stayed in that room, saying nothing and seeing no one, until the piper played outside until 9 o’clock sharp started.”
“I wish I could remember what he played. But maybe it doesn’t matter. With the bagpipes, it’s not the melody, but the tone.”
“Thousands of years old, bagpipes are built to amplify what is already in the heart. When you feel silly, bagpipes make you even sillier. When you’re angry, bagpipes make your blood boil.”
The Duchess of Sussex accompanied Harry on stage for the medal presentation at the stadium earlier in the day
And sat with around a dozen children in the friends and family area of the arena in Düsseldorf and read Rosie Revere’s book Engineer.
The couple’s star-studded farewell comes after Harry opened the Games last Saturday evening with a speech in which he declared: “I am a Düsseldorfer”.
During the week he only ventured into the German city to stay in his 1,600 euro per night hotel and to have dinner with Meghan on the occasion of his 39th birthday.
Harry has been spending a lot of time at the gaming complex with Meghan Markle in tow.
The duchess spoke only once, during a speech she gave at a reception for participants and their families at Düsseldorf airport just hours after landing.
On stage, she apologized for being “a little late to the party,” but when she performed at sporting events, she got into the spirit of the Games by singing along to “Sweet Caroline,” presenting medals and sipping beer.
In his opening song, Harry also noted that Meghan would support Nigeria after she claimed she was 43 percent Nigerian.
Meg sat with Nigerian fans during the sit-down volleyball game and was surrounded by people asking for selfies on their cell phones.
The couple will now fly back and see their two children Archie (4) and two-year-old Lilibet in California.
There are no plans to visit or meet members of the royal family in the UK on the way home.