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Prince Harry stepped out in the U.K. on September 17 for the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards. It marked Harry’s first public appearance in Britain since he returned with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, on August 26.

The event took place at the Painted Hall inside the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London. Harry attended as the Invictus Games Foundation’s founding patron. He arrived solo, wearing a black suit with a bow tie. He also had his military and royal medals on. 

Markle was not with him, though. The Duke of Sussex posed for photos, spoke with guests, and took selfies with some attendees. However, critics on X focused on the low crowd turnout at his appearance. 

One X user wrote, “Must be awful being such a crowd puller.” Another wrote, “There are no crowds. He definitely does not need security.” A third user added, “This is embarrassing. Quite literally no one cares about Harry. And he did this to himself.” 

A fourth comment read, “Prince Harry EMBARRASSING! NOBODY SHOWED UP!” Despite it all, Harry appeared in good spirits. When People asked how it felt to be back in Britain, he said, “Good. It’s good to be back on British soil.” 

There were 14 nominees from nine countries across six award categories at the event. Six winners were eventually announced. James Corden hosted the evening, while the entertainment lineup included Jess Glynne, Sekou, Sydnie Christmas and Sonique. 

The night also raised £1,667,985 for the Invictus Games Foundation’s recovery programs. He founded the initiative in 2014 after seeing the impact of war on fellow veterans. Harry also drew inspiration from the U.S. Warrior Games in 2013. 

The Invictus Games Foundation supports wounded, injured, and sick service personnel and veterans through sport. During his speech, Harry stressed the need to keep supporting those who served. “They served us. We must continue to show up for them,” he told the audience.

He also spoke about what Invictus means to veterans after their military service. “Invictus has never been about what happened to you. It is about what you choose to do next. And none of us does that alone,” he added. 

Harry then spoke about the smaller wins that can follow military service. “Sometimes victory is getting out of bed or asking for help. It is finding work, reconnecting with your family, or putting a uniform away and discovering that your service—and your purpose—did not end with it,” Harry shared. 

He continued, “Those victories don’t come with medals. But they deserve to be celebrated.” The next Invictus Games will take place in Birmingham in 2027. The Games will run from July 10 to 17.

Earlier that day, on September 17, Harry attended a Save the Children and Imperial College London event. There, he spoke about helping children injured in conflicts. The event took place at Imperial College London’s I-HUB in West London. 

Before this, Harry was spotted at Tower Bridge Studios in London on September 4. He reportedly spent most of the day working on an undisclosed project.  

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