Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, told guests at an Invictus Games reception in London that they were "probably hammered" after he arrived late to the event following a private meeting with his father, King Charles.
The 40-year-old took the stage at The Gherkin on Wednesday to set out the next decade for the Invictus Games Foundation, the charity he launched in 2014 to support injured service personnel and veterans. Wearing a black suit, polka-dot tie and an Invictus pin, Harry thanked long-standing and new supporters before moving on to the organisation's future priorities.
Organisers said the Duke was due at the reception at 6:45 p.m. but arrived around 7:24 p.m. after travelling directly from a private tea at Clarence House. Reports said he arrived at the royal residence shortly before 5:20 p.m. and left about 55 minutes later. The meeting at Clarence House was the first reported contact between the two in about 19 months; the pair were last reported to have met in February 2024.
During his remarks, Harry paused briefly after an audience member sneezed and said "bless you," prompting laughter and applause from the crowd. He then quipped: "Oh that does not deserve a round of applause, surely. Surely, this is what I'm talking about. You see, you've been up here too long. I think this whole thing has been delayed slightly so at this point you're probably hammered. Which was part of the plan all along — stuck up here at the top of the Gherkin."
After the light-hearted moment, the duke returned to a more serious tone, telling attendees that the Invictus community "stands as a direct challenge" to divisions in the world and pledging to focus where need is greatest, strengthen the international community built around the games and "drive systemic change — ensuring that wounded, injured and sick service personnel everywhere can find recovery through sport, rehabilitation and the support of community."
Harry founded the global multi-sport event for wounded, injured and sick service members and veterans after visiting a rehabilitation competition in the United States. The inaugural Invictus Games were held in London's Olympic Park in 2014. Subsequent events have been held in Orlando (2016), Toronto (2017), Sydney (2018), The Hague (2020), Düsseldorf (2023) and Vancouver–Whistler (2025), with Birmingham scheduled to host in 2027.
The reception took place on the third day of a rare four-day trip to the UK in which the duke carried out a series of solo charity visits. He has not been reported to meet his brother, the Prince of Wales, during the visit; the prince was in Wales on Wednesday for a separate engagement. Media reports say Harry did not stay at a royal residence for the trip.
Royal aides have in recent months taken steps toward reopening channels of communication between the two households, and the Clarence House meeting was the most recent public sign of contact. The king was reported to have met other guests at Clarence House on the same day, including Holocaust survivor Manfred Goldberg, who was invested with an MBE.
At the reception, Harry also offered thanks to longtime supporters of the Invictus movement and invited newcomers to join the community he said is committed to rehabilitation through sport. He reiterated the foundation's ambition to continue expanding the international network around the games and to address needs arising from conflicts worldwide.
Organisers said heavy traffic in central London — attributed in part to an ongoing Tube strike — contributed to delays in reaching the venue. The duke's remarks at The Gherkin combined personal anecdote and policy-focused aims for the charity as it maps out its next decade of work.