Prince Harry and First Lady Jill Biden Co-Hosted a Virtual Event
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Update 9/14/21: During their virtual event, Prince Harry and First Lady Jill Biden praised each other for their work with veterans and military families. The Duke of Sussex noted that the Warrior Games inspired his creation of the Invictus Games, and thanked Dr. Biden for her years of dedication to veterans.
"Thank you for your service and your continued support over all these years," Prince Harry told the First Lady. "It's been fantastic to see you in action in various parts of the world giving everything that you've got to so many people to not just those who wear the uniform but to the families as well. A lot of them wouldn't be here without you so, thank you."
Dr. Biden returned the compliment, thanking the Duke for dedicating himself to "lifting up service members from around the globe."
Old friends Prince Harry and First Lady Jill Biden are coming together (at least, virtually) for a special event. The Duke of Sussex and the First Lady are co-hosting a virtual event to honor the Warrior Games athletes, their families, and caregivers, after the in-person function was canceled due to COVID concerns. The Warrior Games are an annual sporting event, "celebrating the resiliency and dedication of wounded, ill, and injured active duty and veteran U.S. military Service members."
The in-person Warrior Games were slated to begin this week in Orlando, Florida, but were canceled due to pandemic safety concerns. The Duke and the First Lady both planned to attend the event in person, prior to the cancelation. Instead of the full event, Prince Harry and Dr. Biden are putting together a virtual celebration this evening. The pair will be joined by fellow co-hosts, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Ken Fisher, Chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation, a charity that offers free, temporary lodging for family of military personnel, as they recovery from injuries.
According to the White House press release, the Warrior Games "share a deep bond" with Prince Harry's Invictus Games, a multi-national sporting event for injured and sick service members and veterans. The Duke of Sussex founded the Invictus Games after attending the Warrior Games in 2013.
"He saw how the power of sport could help physically, psychologically and socially," reads the Invictus Games website. "His mind was made up. London would host the inaugural Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick Service personnel."
Of course, Prince Harry has a personal connection to veterans—he is one. The Duke of Sussex is a combat veteran and served two tours of duty in Afghanistan during the ten years he spent in the British army. He eventually rose to the rank of Captain.
Dr. Biden, too, prioritizes veterans and military families in her work. During her time as First Lady, she founded Joining Forces, a White House initiative to support families of service members, veterans, and caregivers. Additionally, Biden's late stepson, Beau, whom she raised, served in the army in Iraq, earning the Bronze Star Medal.
Watch the event live on YouTube at 6 p.m. EST.
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