We were hoping for Bad Boy Prince Harry, the rebel royal who melts hearts and makes tabloid news on both sides of the Atlantic.
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Britain’s Prince Harry was checking out the art and music therapy programmes at a Virginia military base, where he was helping to draw attention to programmes that help injured service members.
The prince, who hosted the global sporting competition for injured armed services personnel in London previous year, crossed the Atlantic to endorse the 2016 Orlando, Florida, games and to call veterans with mental health issues out of the shadows.
“I am in no doubt that my two deployments to Afghanistan changed the direction of my life”, said the 31-year-old, taking on a somber tone.
Harry was scheduled to visit the White House later on Wednesday to meet with President Barack Obama.
Harry’s comments came during a visit with Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, the wife of United States vice-president Joe Biden, to a military centre providing care and rehab for wounded USA veterans. “There is very little that can truly prepare you for the reality of war”, the prince said. The experiences can be stark and long lasting. It hit me then that this flight was one of many, carrying home men and women whose lives would be changed forever, and a few who had made the ultimate sacrifice. Actually, I don’t because I’ve never been in the same room with Prince Harry.
The 31-year-old prince stuck around for the wheelchair basketball game after the address, watching the action in a seat between the Obama and Biden.
Harry promised next year’s Games would be “four really intense days of sport”, while Obama quipped she must “apologise to him in advance for all the gold medals America will win”. “Praising the Prince for his work for the Invictus Games Mr Obama said: “I’d like to welcome Prince Harry his Royal Highness here to the Oval office.” he explained that with the royal visit “(our) bond continues to the next generation of leadership”.
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“We had huge amounts of fun designing the Invictus Games, based around stealing the Warrior Games off yourselves and making it global, making it better and now we’re giving it back to you”.
