Prince Harry has told how seeing plans for an injured army veterans’ recovery centre gave him “goosebumps”.
Prince Harry has told how seeing plans for an injured army veterans’ recovery centre gave him ‘goosebumps’
The Duke of Sussex, 39, made the comment when he was shown the design for a new facility linked to his Invictus charity, which is planned for Abuja, Nigeria, to provide physical and mental rehabilitation for wounded service personnel.
Computer-generated images were shown during a reception for the unveiling of the proposal, hosted by the Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa, while Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, 42, were visiting Nigeria, earlier this month.
The couple were given gifts of traditional clothing, entertained by dancers and heard from Nigerian veterans and People reported Harry said service personnel not being “defined by their injuries” was a growing belief among the wounded.
He added at the reception: “And that is what the new centre you’re building is all about. Seeing the plans for the new Invictus Centre gives me goosebumps.”
Harry added that the Nigerian team had been a welcome addition to his Paralympic-style Invictus games for injured military personnel, who he said “represented their service and this country, extraordinarily” and “won medals and came back with smiles on their faces”.
During his three-day trip to Nigeria, Harry also visited a military hospital in Kanuda, meeting dozens of young soldiers who were recovering from gunshot and blast injuries.
He said: “What this proved to me, what this reminds me of is the power of seeing what is possible, post-injury.”
The architect of the new Invictus recovery centre, Kobina Banning, 45, told People: “This space will be a healing place for veterans.”
He met Harry and Meghan and travelled to some of the events with them during their visit to the country earlier this month, adding: “Nigeria has the largest army in Africa, and with everything that is happening, this will give more hope for those who are serving as they know that if something was to happen there is this facility to fall back on.
“It will help them heal but also is telling them they are not being left alone.”
The next Invictus Games are set for February 2025 in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada.
