Prince Harry urges military to ‘support’ each other as he releases impassioned statement in light of Afghanistan take over

Prince Harry
(Image credit: Getty)

Prince Harry urges the military to 'support' each other as he releases an impassioned statement in light of Afghanistan take over.

Prince Harry has reached out to ex-servicemen and women in his Invictus Games community urging them to look out for each other, following the news that the Taliban have taken control of Afghanistan as the United States withdraws troops from the region.

The Duke of Sussex served in the army for a total of ten years and rose to the rank of Captain. And since then, causes related to veterans and military families have remained central to Prince Harry's work.

Notably, in 2014 he helped found the Invictus Games - Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women and despite the 2020 Invictus Games being cancelled, he announced his first Netflix project will be focused on the charity.

And in a joint statement, Prince Harry, Dominic Reid, the CEO of the Invictus Games, and Lord Allen of Kensington CBE, the chair of the Invictus Games Foundation, encourage everyone to support one another.

Prince Harry

The tweet reads, "What's happening in Afghanistan resonates across the international Invictus community. Many of the participating nations and competitors in the Invictus Games family are bound by a shared experience of serving in Afghanistan over the past two decades, and for several years, we have competed alongside Invictus Games Team Afghanistan."

"We encourage everybody across the Invictus network — and the wider military community — to reach out to each other and offer support for one another."

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And fans have welcomed the message. One wrote, 'Great Message Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex and @WeAreInvictus.' 

Another fan put, 'Trust Prince Harry and the @WeAreInvictus team to lead with compassion at such an awful time.'

And a third added, 'Thoughts and Prayers'.

Prince Harry

It comes after singer Sinéad O'Connor praised Prince Harry for his recently mental health docuseries The Me You Can't See, which he filmed with Oprah Winfrey.

In an open letter to the Duke, she said, 'As someone who has trauma-related mental health struggles, I wanted to let you know how bowled over I am by your Apple TV series. You're slammin' it, to use a musical term. You just keep shining on through.'

Sinéad also revealed that she too lost her mother in similar circumstances when she was 18.

She continued, 'I'm writing this because you and I have something in common Harry. I also lost my mother in a car crash... I do know something of the grief you've been brave enough to share in the public arena. It's a shock that takes years to come out of, when someone dies so violently and suddenly. It's a lifetime's recovery.'

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'I really identified with you when you shared the rage and anger you felt at the time of your mother's passing. I was the same. I'm sure we all were, any of us who ever lost someone in that sudden way. Transcending that grief as you've done by sharing it, cuts through a lot of garbage. And a lot of us appreciate what you're doing.'

She added, 'When so many of us see the work you're doing for people who experience mental health struggles, we see you stomping on stigma. And we're all delighted for you. Most importantly, we know how proud your mama is of the incredible young man you are.'

Selina Maycock
Senior Family Writer

Selina is a Senior Family Writer for GoodtoKnow and has more than 16 years years of experience. She specialises in royal family news, including the latest activities of Prince George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet. She also covers the latest government, health and charity advice for families. Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism, and gained her NCTJ and NCE qualifications. During her career, she’s also written for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman&Home, and Woman's Weekly as well as Heat magazine, Bang Showbiz - and the Scunthorpe Telegraph. When she's not covering family news, you can find her exploring new countryside walking routes, catching up with friends over good food, or making memories (including award-winning scarecrows!)