Prince Harry gives powerful speech as he closes Invictus Games 2025

Prince Harry wrapped the Invictus Games 2025 in Vancouver and Whistler on Sunday with powerful words that left the crowd emotional.

The Duke of Sussex took to the stage at the closing ceremony held at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena, after outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau honoured him with high praise in his speech.

Before Harry began his address, he began singing the opening bars of the Canadian national anthem.

“You’ve only gone and done it again. Did we all have fun?” he began and proceed to thank the organisers and officials.

“To our Invictus wives, husbands, girlfriends, boyfriends, kids, grandparents and friends, if you can, please stand and be recognised — we salute you,” Harry said. “To our comrades, friends or loved ones who we lost to battle or to suicide, tonight we honour you too.”

The Duke went on to acknowledge the “difficult and uncertain” journeys may of the attendees had take in order to be here at the adaptive sporting event and said “thank you showing us what is possible”.

“In the pursuit of saving yourselves, you have also saved all of us. Those who love you and those who don’t even know you,” he said.

He noted that in the past 11 days he met with families “from different beliefs, backgrounds and abilities” and he could see “how you’ve changed them”.

“Being a hero, being a role model, it’s not just about resilience, skill or power. It’s about integrity. Compassion. Courage,” he continued. “You give us hope through your healing, honesty and humanity, and of course through your humour! You know exactly what I'm talking about. It's an in-house joke,” prompted laughs from the crowd.

“Our entire Invictus community, whether here tonight or watching from home, is making the world a better place, and you’re doing it by being your awesome selves.”

The closing ceremony also marked the official handover to the Invictus Games’ 2027 host Birmingham.