Prince Harry surprised moviegoers after he showed up at the California premiere of his new Netflix documentary.
The Duke of Sussex seemed in good spirits as he joked to the audience of veterans and their relatives that it was ‘nice of you to dress up for the occasion’.
The 38-year-old was met with cheers from the audience before showing them two episodes of Heart of Invictus, his new series that follows veterans as they prepare for the Invictus Games – the sports competition for wounded armed forces he founded in 2014. .
The screening, which took place Monday evening at a cinema in Chula Vista, San Diego County, is said to have been organized by Netflix and the prince’s organization Archewell. Hello! reports.
After the screening, he posed for photos with theatergoers as the five-episode series hits the streaming service this morning.
Harry joked that it was “nice of you to dress up for the occasion” as he looked out over the audience
Prince Harry posed with audience members for photos after the premiere of a new Netflix series about the Invictus Games in California
They were produced as part of the Sussexes’ £80 million deal with the streaming service that saw them release a documentary series called Harry & Meghan last year.
After walking to the front of the screen in front of the cheering crowd, Harry, who was dressed in a cream blazer and white shirt, quipped, “Nice to see you all.” It’s nice of you to dress up for the occasion. (No) Suits and ties?’
In images posted to social media, he was seen adding, “Just wanted to say a huge thank you for coming tonight. You’ll get to see Heart of Invictus, which has been in the works for the past two years, before anyone else.
“It comes out Wednesday, you can watch it tonight—well, two episodes at least, to whet the appetite for the rest.”
In a video posted to Instagram by @bonnie_pham, the Duke of Sussex could be heard talking about the sacrifices servicemen and their families make while on duty.
In the caption, she wrote, “If it’s a random Monday night and Prince Harry crashes his show’s premiere in random Chula Vista.”
She said afterwards: ‘What a show, what a man, what a special surprise! #heartofinvictus’
The Duke is an executive producer on the show and there’s pressure for the series to be a success after their deal with Spotify for Meghan’s Archetypes podcast ended after just one series this summer.
In their previous Netflix show Harry & Meghan, a documentary series about their relationship, they saw the royal family lash out and give their thoughts on Megxit, in which they left the UK for California.
The Duke of Sussex was in good spirits, joking with the audience as he gave a short speech about the documentary
The Prince, pictured on stage at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Invictus Games, set up the event for wounded veterans
Harry, who recently appeared in Japan and Singapore for a charity and polo tour with his best friend Nacho Figueras, was the focus of promotional material for the new series.
In a trailer released by Netflix last month, he could be heard saying, “It’s here at Invictus Games that you realize: whatever you’re carrying, it was the springboard that took you to the next level.” The Games don’t focus on the cause of the injury, but on recovery and how you can be part of a community again.’
Harry is pictured meeting competitors and his voice can be heard saying, “Everyone is going to have a hard time at some point.”
The new series will be released ahead of next month’s Invictus Games, which will be held in Düsseldorf, Germany from September 9.
Rita Ora will perform at the closing ceremony, where Harry is expected to give an emotional speech. Rita and Harry have been friends for years.
Harry and Meghan will attend the event, which he set up after taking inspiration from the Warrior Games in the United States.
The Duke of Sussex gives a veteran a high five during the trailer for the Netflix series The Heart of Invictus
The documentary, which follows veterans as they prepare for the Invictus Games, comes out today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, pictured here in Düsseldorf last September, will return to the German city for the Invictus Games next month
In a video message recorded at his mansion in Montecito before he left for Japan, Harry stressed, “It’s going to be the best games ever.” He also praised the participants for taking the next step on their “healing journey,” emphasizing that the event, which he called a “home of respect,” was part of his own event.
Grinning during the virtual call, he said, “I hope you’re excited and probably a little nervous. I am both. But I can’t wait to see you all again and have the whole community back together. It has been too long’.
Addressing the athletes, he said, “You are all at different parts of your healing journey,” before adding, “We all are—we always will be.”
Good luck in the coming weeks, have fun, looking forward to it. Being nervous is a good thing. We have 21 countries this year and can’t wait to have every continent represented. Except Antarctica – but that’s still being worked on,” he said with a laugh.
“Thank you for your services, for your commitment and your determination to get to this point. We’re going to have a lot of fun and yes, I’m looking forward to it. We are ready to receive you. It’s going to be the best games ever, the best games yet.’
Harry will reportedly be in Düsseldorf for the entire Games, while Meghan is expected to attend about half of them, including her husband’s speech at the closing ceremony.
A source told the Rheinische Post that “this highly emotional element needs to be looked at personally by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.”