Officials say he plans to visit Fort Belvoir military base with Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, who is U.S. Vice President Joe Biden’s wife, to meet wounded servicemen and women.
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Harry, who was to fly out later todday, headed from Virginia to the White House for an informal first meeting with the United States president.
The Prince is making a one-day visit to the U.S. to highlight his Invictus Games and support the rehabilitation of injured American service personnel.
The first Invictus Games took place in 2014 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, and was attended by members of the Royal Family. He and Mrs Obama launched the 2016 Invictus Games, which will be held in Orlando.
At a post-scrimmage reception at the British ambassador’s house, Harry said that he first felt compelled to do something for wounded soldiers during his first tour in 2008, when he returned home to Britain on a plane carrying “three seriously injured soldiers and the coffin of a Danish soldier”. Speaking to the crowd on the subject of war veterans, Prince Harry spoke candidly about his experiences at war, and with injured veterans.
Following Harry’s whirlwind visit to the US, he is set to return to the U.K.in time for the Rugby World Cup Final, where he is confirmed to hand out the Webb Ellis Cup to the winners on Saturday evening.
The visit is not the first time Harry has met with the First Lady; they also met at Kensington Palace in June during Michelle’s tour of the United Kingdom for her Let Girl’s Learn initiative.
He explained how programs like these teach the public that “invisible” mental health injuries and physical ones are equally devastating, but that with more attention to the issue and increasing care for individuals who are facing these conditions, the games can bring about more diagnosis and treatment.
Later the prince, the first lady and Mrs Biden watched a wheelchair basketball match and when their royal guest first arrived in the sports hall Mrs Obama joked with the women in the stands saying: “All right ladies, Prince Harry is here – don’t pretend you didn’t notice”.
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“We have to help [veterans] to get the support they need, without fear of being judged or discriminated against”.
