Prince Harry's popular Invictus Games will no longer be taking place this year. The board of the charity, as well as the Duke of Sussex, decided that it would be best to cancel the sports event in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement, the Invictus Games Foundation said that today's public health situation is "complex and evolving rapidly." Thus, it was decided that canceling the event, though disappointing, was the best move.
The organizers, however, said that they will continue to work to support the sick, wounded and injured servicemen and women beneficiaries. The Invictus Games Foundation is also shifting its focus in preparing for the 2021 sports events.
Prince Harry also took to Twitter to announce the cancellation of the Invictus Games for 2020. In it, he said that the decision to cancel was "incredibly difficult" but he believes it is the safest and most sensible option for all the participants and their families.
Every year, the Invictus Games Foundation brings together wounded servicemen and women from 20 countries to compete in different sports. Prince Harry is a patron of this organization as a serviceman himself, having served the British Army for 10 years.
In January, Prince Harry announced that the Invictus Games is going to Dusseldorf, Germany for 2022. It would be the sixth event in the history of the sports game, which started in 2014.
In his speech, Prince Harry said that he's certain the German public will be supporting the Invictus Games with their warmness and amazing hospitality. The Invictus Games was previously held in London (2014), Orlando (2016), Toronto (2017) and Sydney (2018).
Meanwhile, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle also used their social media platform to express their sentiments about the coronavirus pandemic. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said that the public need each other now more than ever as millions of people all over the world are in quarantine to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.
Prince Harry and Meghan said that they will be sharing inspiring stories in the next few weeks in celebration of the human spirit in these challenging times. The Sussex pair also said that the coronavirus feels quite scary but they thanked the people in the frontlines working to save lives.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are on a lockdown in their home in Vancouver, Canada with their son Archie. Prince Harry and Meghan arrived in their second home in the middle of March after completing their final round of royal duties for the Queen and the Crown. They will officially step back as working royals on March 31.
