Invictus Games a stepping stone for veterans: Prince Harry

The Invictus Games can be a stepping stone for the participating veterans toward changing their lives for the better. Prince Harry, who devised the event, said that in conversation with Saida Magge on NPO2.

Harry and his wife Meghan are currently in The Hague for the sports tournament for mentally and physically injured soldiers. "The world they experience here is not reality," said Harry. "But it can be a stepping stone to change their lives." Prince Charles' son is deeply moved when he sees athletes crossing the finish line in front of their families. "Such an experience can change their lives."

Harry loves the atmosphere in The Hague, he said. "Everyone had to wait two years. You notice that everyone is looking forward to it." He had no expectations of how the week would go. "I especially want to be here. I want to talk to participants and relatives. If I see them laughing, this week has been a success for me."

Unlike in the United Kingdom, Prince Harry does receive police protection in the Netherlands. The Royal Diplomatic Security Service (DKDB) accompanied the prince to the swimming finals on Tuesday. He went there in an armored car.

In the United Kingdom, a judge ruled that the prince would no longer receive police protection there after he resigned his royal duties two years ago. Harry and Meghan also took a security guard, a former bodyguard for US presidents George W. Bush and Brack Obama, to the Invictus Games.

The DKDB provides security for King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima, and threatened politicians like Geert Wilders, among other things.