Viewers say they were left ‘in tears’ after watching ‘inspiring’ veterans in Prince Harry’s new Netflix documentary Heart of Invictus, after it was released today.
Fans have praised the series for showing the men and women competing in the Invictus Games after the new show followed them as they prepare for last year’s games in the Netherlands.
All five episodes were released on the streaming service at 8am in the UK, with audiences taking to social media to praise the service for bringing the athletes’ personal stories to light.
Filmmakers followed wounded veterans from Britain, the United States, South Korea, Denmark and Ukraine, revealing their motivations for participating and how they performed at the Games themselves.
However, some have criticized the documentary after Harry “appeared to be joking” about the royal family when he said he had no support network after coming back from Afghanistan.
The new Netflix series Heart of Invictus follows veterans as they prepare for last year’s Invictus Games in the Netherlands. Pictured: Prince Harry hands out gold medals after last year’s wheelchair basketball final
It’s the Sussexes’ second production as part of their £80 million deal with Netflix, following the release of the controversial docuseries Harry & Meghan last year, in which they launched several broadsides at Harry’s family and expressed their views on Megxit.
The new series, which was shot in 2022, shifts the focus to Harry’s efforts at the Invictus Games Foundation, the charity he founded to organize the sporting event for wounded and ailing veterans.
People took to social media this morning after watching the first episode, with many commenting that they were left in tears by the participants’ emotional stories.
Twitter user @sa_squaddie commented, “I’m not crying after five minutes. I don’t think I really ever think too deeply about veterans and what their families go through because I personally don’t know anyone who has a real active army job. it’s not that important in my country, but man… i’m glad i’m learning more #HeartOfInvictus.’
@Miss_BlackHippy added: ‘I’m watching this with goosebumps and teary eyes – that’s my review so far!’
@oloriogun_ wrote, “Great #HeartOfInvictus on Netflix so far, what an inspiration these veterans are.”
@SarahPollock202 agreed, writing, ‘First episode of Invictus is no longer available. I won’t give spoilers just yet, but damn, this is inspiring for X.’
Meanwhile, @staciBran6 added, “I’m currently watching #HeartOfInvictus. Frankly, when I think of the military, all I think of are soldiers who are trained in combat. But they are more than that: they are people with families who love and care for them, and who suffer physical injuries, PTSD.”
Social media users praised the series, saying the “inspiring” wounded veterans left them in tears
During the new Invictus series, Harry talks about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma in war zones in a segment, providing insight into his own experiences.
The Duke goes on to say that after returning from Afghanistan “the biggest struggle for me was that no one around me could really help”
He added: ‘I didn’t have that support structure, that network or that expert advice to identify what was really wrong with me.
“Unfortunately, like most of us, the first time you consider therapy is when you’re lying on the floor in a fetal position, probably wishing you had dealt with this sort of thing sooner. And that’s what I really want to change.’
Some viewers criticized the show for seeming to put the spotlight back on Harry when veterans talked about their experiences.
@jerseydeanne wrote: ‘I thought the documentary was about veterans and not cry baby Harry.’
@tracytaylor66 added: “Just saw a clip and I thought it was a bit of a joke for the family too.”
The series featured only fleeting appearances from Harry’s wife, the Duchess of Sussex.
Some viewers complained that the main focus was on Harry and his struggles after he came back from Afghanistan
Meghan was seen speaking at the opening ceremony of the Games last year to introduce Harry to the stage.
She says, “Thank you so much for your services and thanks to all the friends and family who are here and have supported you along the way. Because this is service, this is dedication, and this is the Invictus family.
“Please welcome my incredible husband, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex.”
Meghan and Harry then share a kiss on stage as she hands over the microphone.
Anti-racism activist and social commentator Imarn Ayton said this could be another step to rebuild their brand in Britain, after public opinion turned against them following the release of Harry & Meghan and the Duke’s telling memoir, Spare earlier this year.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain today, she said: ‘For Harry it reminds me of why I liked him in the first place, it was very inspiring, I’ll give him that.
“But in terms of the re-branding, I don’t think it’s really going to work. As for the damage, I think that’s already been done.’
She added, “As much as these things are very helpful, like this particular documentary, it doesn’t take away from the fact that the damage is done.
“There will forever be a cohort in Britain and abroad who will forever associate this couple with insincerity, betrayal and fueling the culture wars, and that is the issue. That stain isn’t going anywhere.’
The series was released ahead of next month’s Invictus Games, which take place in Düsseldorf. Pictured: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in the German city last year
But Sky News correspondent Laura Bundock said Heart of Invictus was “very different” from Netflix’s earlier bombshell series, Harry & Meghan.
She said, “He talks about his own experience really being the reason Invictus Games came about, it’s where it came from, his own personal experience in the military and of course his tour of Afghanistan, which we’ve now learned this caused the trauma. of losing his mother at the age of 12.
“Before you think, ‘Harry on Netflix, here we go again’, this is a very, very different series than anything we’ve heard before.”
She continued, “Harry’s had a lot of sides, we’ve heard a lot from Harry, he’s exposed a lot of himself. But this is Harry on much more comfortable ground. Invictus Games is something very personal to him. It’s a cause he clearly cares deeply about and is eager to promote.
And after a year where there’s been a lot of negativity about the things Harry’s done and said, maybe this feels like a positive step forward.
“Even those who may have been critics of Harry in the past would certainly agree that the Invictus Games is a positive project of his, something that has paid off tremendously – it’s widely seen as a success story.”
Ms Bundock added: ‘As for the royal family, who are on holiday in Balmoral, this will be a Harry show they will probably watch.’
Meanwhile, GB News correspondent Cameron Walker said watching the series felt like he had “the old Prince Harry back.”
“It takes the focus off him, his issues and trauma, and puts the focus back on veterans,” he said.
It may be why we see the Prince and Princess of Wales so popular with the British public: they turn the spotlight on themselves and their charitable work.
“And that’s what we’re seeing with Prince Harry in this documentary.”
He added, “There’s a very little bit of Meghan. She is very much in the background in a supporting role. It is Harry who gives the interviews.
Prince Harry avoids being a member of the royal family in this documentary. And the question for Netflix is: will this score well?’