Prince Harry Talked about Sacrifice and Freedom at the 2018 Invictus Games

Speaking in the Sydney Opera House earlier today, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, gave the opening speech for the 2018 Invictus Games, held this year in Australia. Prince Harry, a combat veteran of the war in Afghanistan, organized the Invictus games to honor wounded and disabled veterans from several nations. The games, televised world-wide, feature such events as indoor rowing and wheelchair rugby. “Invictus” is Latin for “undefeated.” As usual, Prince Harry began the games by giving a brief inspirational speech.  Speaking in conversational style, he complimented his audience, stated the games’ purpose, and tied the events to larger values. In short, he gave an excellent, inspirational epideictic speech.

Prince Harry began by noting that his grandmother the Queen had dedicated the opera house in 1973: “Forty-five years later, to the day, it is my honour to be standing in front of this iconic symbol.” Stating the games’ purpose, he explained that “Invictus was inspired by the experiences I had alongside our service men and women from many nations. These games were created for our men and women in uniform and built not just for them, but also for the friends and families that have supported their recoveries and had their lives changed forever.”

He lamented that service personnel are often not respected: “So much has rightly been made by my grandmother’s generation who endured the horrors of the Second World War and then rebuilt a world order on freedom and tolerance.” Already, Prince Harry was talking about values, freedom and tolerance arising horrors of the war against world-white dictatorships. He continued to talk about values: “The values that define this country’s services – courage, endurance, mateship, sacrifice – are all an example to all.” He lamented that “The sacrifice and character of our troops never changed, but society’s recognition of them too often wavered.” Continuing to stress values, he said that “in today’s world being tough means being honest about how we feel – both inside and out.”

Near the conclusion, Prince Harry thanked Australia for “the welcome you have given Meghan and I over the last few days.” He made a quick reference to the impending arrival of their child.

A good ceremonial speech never talks just about the people being honored. Yes, Prince Harry spent a good bit of time thinking and honoring the veterans who competed in the Invictus Games. But he spent even more time talking about the values that the men and women had fought for. "A new world order based on freedom and tolerance," he said. Words to remember in our troubled times.