Surprisingly and without his wife, Prince Harry (41) appeared on the red carpet in New York on Thursday evening. At the "Time100 Sports" gala, the Duke of Sussex was honored for his commitment to the Invictus Games, as reported by the US magazine "People" and the gossip site "Page Six". Duchess Meghan (44) stayed away from the event.
In high spirits, Harry joked with the waiting photographers and certified them as the most polite ones he had ever encountered. For the occasion, he had dressed in a dark suit with an open white shirt. Later, he was photographed alongside "Time" chief Jessica Sibley, with whom he was engaged in conversation inside the event.
Honor for the Invictus Games
Prince Harry had previously made the "Time" list of the 100 most influential people in sports and was thus honored for his work on the Invictus Games, an international sports competition for soldiers and veterans with injuries. The prince, who served in the British Army for a decade, launched the games after attending the US Olympic Committee's Warrior Games in 2013. The first edition took place in London in 2014, and since then the event has been held in Orlando, Toronto, Sydney, The Hague, Düsseldorf, and Vancouver, among other cities. In 2027, the competition will come to Birmingham.
What drove him back then, Harry told "Time": He had recognized what power lies in sports and how much it changes lives. Then it became clear to him: "Let's invite as many countries as possible to make this international."
Disappointment Over World Cup Exit
On the red carpet, the prince also spoke about the English national team's exit from the World Cup. When asked by "Page Six" whether his home country's defeat made him sad, he replied briefly with "of course". England had been eliminated in the semifinals by Argentina on Wednesday, which turned the match around in Atlanta to win 2-1 after being behind.
Harry was not the only prominent spectator affected by the result. Football icon David Beckham (51) watched the game in the stadium and visibly struggled with tears before his son Cruz (21) embraced him. Harry's brother Prince William (44) also spoke out: On the platform X, the heir to the throne said he was "devastated" and thanked the team for a strong tournament.
Family Reunion After Four Years
The New York appearance fell during an eventful week for Prince Harry. Just a few days earlier, he had met with his family, his father King Charles (77) and stepmother Queen Camilla (79). The encounter took place on July 10 at the Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire. For Charles, it was the first reunion with his grandchildren Archie (7) and Lilibet (5) in four years.
While Harry completed the meeting with the King calmly, his brother was absent. Prince William instead spent the day at his annual polo tournament for charitable purposes. The reunion with the father apparently does nothing to change the brothers' rift. Their relationship is "so fractured", "People" quotes an insider. Between William and Harry, there is still no contact whatsoever.
