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Prince Harry might be stepping back from the royal family, but he is continuing his work with veterans. One week after his and wife Meghan Markle ’s bombshell announcement, the Duke of Sussex revealed on January 15 that the 2022 Invictus Games will take place in Düsseldorf, Germany. “In 2022, the Invictus Games will travel to a new country, a new home for respect for our armed forces,” Harry said in a video shared by the Invictus Games Foundation.
The Invictus Games use the power of sport to inspire recovery and support rehabilitation for wounded, injured, or sick servicemen and women. Prince William ’s brother, who is a veteran himself, started the international multi-sport event in 2014. Meghan made her first public appearance with Harry at the 2017 games in Toronto, Canada. Months after their royal wedding, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex traveled to Sydney, Australia for the 2018 games.
This year’s Invictus Games will be taking place in The Hague May 9 through May 16. “We are heading to The Hague where I’m delighted that we will be joined by 20 nations for 2020 as Belgium and the Republic of Korea join the Invictus family,” Harry said in the video posted on Wednesday.
The news comes one week after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shocked the world with their decision to step down from their senior royal rolesand become financially independent. On Monday, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, William and Harry met at Sandringham to discuss the Sussexes’ future. After the royal summit, Her Majesty released a statement saying , “Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family. My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family. Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family.”
The Queen continued, “Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives. It has therefore been agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK. These are complex matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done, but I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days.”