Prince Harry surprises the audience at the screening of Heart of Invictus
Prince Harry discusses the therapeutic power of sport
Prince Harry speaks about the impact that sport can have on physical and mental health, and its power to bring people together, as he kicks off a promotional tour of Asia in Tokyo (9 August)
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Prince Harry is full of surprises, including a big surprise for theater-goers earlier this week.
The Duke of Sussex stunned the audience at an AMC movie theater in California on Monday during a screening of his new movie Five-episode Netflix documentary series “Heart of Invictus” It features a group of injured soldiers preparing for last year’s Invictus Games in the Netherlands.
the audience GraceAnn Skidmore shared a selfie with the royal family on Instagram.
“Last night I was invited to a special screening of Prince Harry’s new documentary series ‘HEART OF INVICTUS’ at AMC CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA, and got to meet the Duke of Sussex, Harry himself,” Skidmore wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday. “As a military spouse, USO volunteer, and someone who is passionate about military defense, this event was one of a kind and I am so grateful for the experience.”
“Harry is generous on a personal level as he is in the media with his mission to support veterans around the world,” Skidmore said, before thanking the United Service Organizations and Netflix.
“There was a lot of cheering and we were very surprised to see Prince Harry come to spend his evening with us. He stayed for the entire show and took pictures afterward with some of the guests,” Skidmore said in a statement shared with USA TODAY on Thursday. “The experience of watching this series was special for me not only as a spouse of a military service member but also as someone who is passionate about military defense.”
Skidmore friend plus one for the event, Bonnie Fam also shared a video of the royal surprise. “My friend Harry had to show up and crash the party,” Pham joked in the caption, quickly adding: “And we’re here for it!!!!!!”
“You guys should watch it tonight – or at least two episodes – to whet the appetite for the rest of the series,” Harry said in a video circulating on social media.
The USO also shared a photo of the surprise on social media, including screening details for service members from the Navy Wounded Warrior program. “As a surprise to our service members, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, came to watch with the public!”
A USO Instagram post comment quoted Marcus Pace, regional program manager and veteran of the Navy’s Wounded Warrior Program, Naval Region Southwest, who said, “It was an absolute honor to sit down with the population we serve and watch Heart of Invictus together. It gave” It was an evening full of hope, especially since so many of them are going through the most difficult times of their lives. But more than anything, it was an evening of talking about the community of our wounded warriors and being around other service members who are going through the same thing. “
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives of Archewell, USO, AMC Theaters and Netflix for comment.
How to watch “Heart of Invictus”
The limited series, which launched Wednesday on the streaming service, from director Orlando von Einsiedel and producer Joanna Natasegara, joins Invictus competitors as they train and prepare for matches.
Invictus Games 2022: Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan visit Queen Elizabeth II on their way to the Invictus Games
In it, Harry says he didn’t get the support he needed when he returned home from fighting in Afghanistan while reaching out to other veterans. Speaking about post-traumatic stress disorder, Harry said that his return from Afghanistan in 2012 triggered feelings he had suppressed after the death of his mother, Princess Diana, when he was 12 years old. The prince, whose troubles with the royal family have been chronicled in the past, said the impact of Diana’s death was never discussed.
Heart of Invictus is now available to stream on Netflix.
What are Invictus games?
The Invictus Games are modeled after the Warrior Games in the United States, and Harry founded the Invictus Games in 2014 as a Paralympic-style event aimed at inspiring military veterans around the world as they work to overcome battlefield injuries.
In 2019, Prince Harry marked the fifth anniversary of the first Invictus Games by recalling his words at the opening ceremony as “the worst speech I’ve ever given.”
“I was so nervous, I was shaking,” Harry admitted in a video on the now-defunct Sussexroyal Instagram account. He said he remembers his anxiety when he saw the cheering faces of the crowd of competitors in front of his platform.
He was worried about anyone showing up, he was worried about the weather (it was outside), and he was worried about his speech. “I knew I had a certain window to be able to get my words out, and we were also running in the back. So I hurried,” he said, laughing. “It was probably one of the worst speeches I ever gave.”
Contributing: Maria Puente, USA TODAY; Associated Press