Prince Harry Opens Up About Family, Invictus and Having Wife Meghan Markle 'by My Side' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle

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Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE in Vancouver on Feb. 9, he shares his excitement.

Now, seven years later, Meghan, 43, is once again beside him, offering unwavering support for the cause that means so much to him.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex with members of Team USA during Team USA Breakfast at the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 at Pan Pacific Hotel on February 8, 2025 in Vancouver, Canada.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex kiss during the opening ceremony of the 2025 Invictus Games at BC Place on February 08, 202

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“It is full of positivity,” a friend of the couple says. “Harry is walking around with a big smile on his face, and he can’t go very far without being stopped every few seconds. But that’s what it’s all about.”

Competitors echo that sentiment. “He came up, gave me a hug, got a cheeky selfie. We were both in Afghanistan in 2008, so we had that connection there,” Christopher Bryde of Team U.S. tells PEOPLE of meeting Harry. “It’s like you met someone down at the pub — he’s a really cool guy.”

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (L) attends the Biathlon event during day three of the 2025 Invictus Games at Whistler Olympic Park

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Jeana Provias of Team Canada describes the Duke of Sussex as “very intense and purposeful”: “When he shakes your hand, he looks into your face like he wants to imprint your face in his mind. You can feel he’s an outstanding leader. I feel like he’s our hero.”

Prince Harry and Chris Martin

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“What a way to start — a sold-out stadium in front of 40,000 people. It had a very Olympic, Paralympic feel to it. It was great,” he says.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex at Wheelchair Basketball in Vancouver Convention Centre during Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 in Canada.

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Harry will return home to Montecito, Caifornia, ready to share the experience with his children,Prince Archie, 5, andPrincess Lilibet, 3.

“They are fascinated,” Harry says. “It’s a very interesting conversation to have with your kids — to explain why that person is missing a leg, why that person is missing an arm, why do they look the way they do. It’s challenging but important.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during the USA v Nigeria wheelchair basketball in the Vancouver Convention Centre (VCC) during the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver, Canada.

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“Our kids are still so young, but Archie especially is asking those questions,” he says. “I’m constantly trying to make sure that I get it right in explaining what’s happened to [the competitors] and what we do at Invictus to try to make their lives better and give them a chance to redefine themselves."

“And the power of sport,” he continues. “I’m hoping that my kids will take on every sport they want as well, because I think it’s really important for all of us.”

source: people.com