What is the Invictus Games? Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend 2022 edition after meeting Queen Elizabeth

On Friday, April 15, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended this year's Invictus Games following their meeting with Queen Elizabeth II at the Windsor Castle. After their first family reunion in almost two years, Harry and Meghan visited the Hague in the Netherlands, where the competition is being hosted.

At the reception, the couple interacted with the Ukrainian team, other teams' players, local government leaders, and the Dutch Ministry of Defense. As per Page Six, the reception ceremony was filmed by a crew for their upcoming Netflix documentary project.

The publication also reported that Megan Markle would only be at the games for just a few days, as the couple has reportedly left their two-year-old son, Archie and 10-month-old daughter, Lilibet at their California residence. Meanwhile, Prince Harry will remain in the Netherlands untill the game's conclusion on April 22.

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What is known about the Invictus Games? Origins explored

As per the official website of the event:

"The word 'invictus' means 'unconquered'. It embodies the fighting spirit of wounded, injured and sick Service personnel and personifies what these tenacious men and women can achieve post injury."

The game's name also seems to be inspired by the 1875 poem "Invictus" by the British poet William Ernest Henley.

The Invictus Games is an international sporting event launched by Prince Harry in 2014, which is open to injured or ill servicepersons. The competing service person may be veterans or may still be serving in their respective branches. According to the sports event's site, in 2013, Prince Harry was inspired by a similar event in the USA called Warrior Games, which also catered to the injured service personnel or veterans.

After being canceled for two consecutive years (2020 and 2021) because of the pandemic, the multi-sport event is back and will be presented by Jaguar Land Rover. This year the event will have over 500 competitors from 20 nations competing in the adaptive sporting events across the country throughout the week.

The Invictus Games will have adaptive sporting events to maximize the participation of injured servicemen and servicewomen. These events will also cater to paraplegic veterans and more. The list of events includes the likes of archery, athletic track events (100m, 200m, 400m, 1500m, and 4 x 100m relay), and athletic field events like discus, shot, and horizontal jump.

Furthermore, there will be a series of adaptive competitions like indoor rowing, cycling, powerlifting (in lightweight, middleweight, and heavyweight categories, which would be separated into male and female), and swimming. Meanwhile, a series of wheelchair-specific events will include adaptive versions of basketball and rugby, along with a sitting volleyball. With Land Rover sponsoring the event, there will also be a driving challenge involving the brand's SUVs.

As the patron of the event, Prince Harry kicked off the start of the 2022 Invictus Games by saying:

"The world needed to be reminded of the power of the human spirit, the ability to heal, and the strength of resilience, that allows us to recover, and come back stronger."

He also noted the involvement of the Ukraine team and admired them for their bravery.