As Prince Harry opened the Invictus Games at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium in Canada this weekend, lip-reader Jeremy Freeman caught a touching exchange between the Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan Markle.
Harry was clearly feeling very emotional as he spoke at the commencement ceremony of the competition, which will see more than 500 athletes competing in 11 different events, including winter sports for the first time.
There seemed to be tears in his eyes as he told the 40,000-strong crowd: “We gather here in Vancouver in a spirit of unity.
“Beyond any differences, here at the Invictus Games we are grounded in mutual respect, competing fiercely, but believing in one another.”
He added: “Over the past decade I’ve lost count of the times we’ve heard you tell us that the Invictus Games saved you. Respectfully, I disagree. Invictus didn’t save you. You saved yourself.”
But alongside the prince’s public pronouncements, the Duke and Duchess had a quiet private exchange amongst the cheering crowds.
As a tearful Harry excused himself from the stands to make his speech, according to expert lip-reader Jeremy, he told his wife: “OK, I’ll be back later,” with a still-smitten Meghan replying: “You’re amazing.”
The couple seemed particularly tactile in Vancouver, with the 43-year-old duchess snuggling closely to her husband before leaning in for a passionate kiss.
At the same event, Harry also made a veiled swipe at US President Donald Trump, who has more than once insulted Meghan.
On Saturday, Mr Trump ruled out deporting the Duke of Sussex from the US after the prince had admitted in his memoir about past drug use, claiming Harry has “enough problems with his wife” Meghan, whom he described as “terrible.”
It didn’t seem entirely unconnected that the Duke criticised the “weak moral character in the world” in his speech.
Pricne Harry told the crowd: “At this moment, when there is no shortage of crises, no absence of uncertainty, no lack of weak moral character in the world, the values you embody, the way you carry yourselves – not only at the Invictus Games, but each and every day – your courage, your resilience, your humanity, illuminate a path forward for us all.”
As part of the opening night celebrations, Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado played some of her best-loved hits to rapturous applause.
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin followed her to perform the Invictus Games anthem, which he composed back in 2014. Martin paid tribute to Prince Harry and could later be seen sharing a joke with him and Meghan.
Master Corporal James Gendron led “a shared moment of healing” on his bagpipes. The serviceman, who previously suffered psychological injuries in Afghanistan after playing at 63 separate funeral-style ceremonies for fallen soldiers, was then joined on stage by more pipers, as well as drummers, who helped him create a huge wall of sound inside the arena.
