Prince Harry laughs as Invictus Games participant gets hand 'stuck' on his bottom

Robert Jobson29 October 2019

Prince Harry chatted to servicemen and women set to make his new Invictus Games team today and got a little closer than he imagined.

One participant, Linsey Kelly, 35, was left red-faced after she put her arm around the royal’s waist for a selfie and exclaimed: "My hand’s just stuck on Prince Harry’s bottom, sorry!"

The married Duke of Sussex, who was on top form as he greeted the 65-strong team set to represent the UK at The Hague next year in his Paralympic-style event for injured service personnel, laughed out loud.

He replied laughing: "It’s almost on my bottom!"

"No, it’s there," she laughed and pointed. "Whay-hay!" the royal chuckled.

The Duke of Sussex launching team UK for the 2020 Invictus Games

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Harry was guest of honour at the event, held at the Hon. Artillery Company in London, in his role as patron and founder of the Invictus Games Foundation.

It saw the team of wounded, injured and sick service personnel, both serving and veterans, coming together for the first time ahead of next year’s competition, designed to highlight the importance of sport as part of the recovery journey of those with life changing injuries or illnesses.

The UK is one of 19 nations who will be taking part in the 5th Invictus Games next May in The Netherlands., which will see 500 competitors competing in 10 adaptive sports.

The Team UK trials were held in Sheffield in July this year.

Harry, dressed casually in beige trousers, boots and a matching jumper with a Remembrance poppy pinned to it, arrived 25 minutes late but received a rousing welcome.

Harry poses with Invictus Games participants
POOL/AFP via Getty Images

"What are you most looking forward to?" he asked, the team.

"Who is still serving? Who’s RAF?" he asked, before comically gesturing to one side and shouting: "Out!’ His audience laughed loudly at the comic banter highlighting the traditional rivalry between the army and air force.

Moving from group to group he asked: "Are people quite nervous? That’s fine.

"Have you got children. Yes, you want to do it for them. Which you will do. It feels good as well, right?

"You’ve got a lot of humour within this group, you’ve got a lot of personalities, so good luck with that!

"This is an opportunity you wouldn’t have had all those years ago. You have been through dark times. Did you feel really isolated.

"This is an opportunity to wear the flag again with pride and be part of a unit and a team. Hopefully you will stay friends forever. It is going to be awesome. Enjoy, this is where it starts."

Harry at the launch at Honourable Artillery Company in east London
POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Linsey, 35, from Oxfordshire, spoke afterwards about the affect being part of the Invictus Team had already had on her – and, of course, accidentally touching the sixth in line to the throne’s derriere.

She said: "I have been really quite poorly with my mental and physical health but this experience, clichéd as it sounds, has already actually changed my life."

Linsey, a logistical movements controller, was medically discharged from the RAF as a result of leg and foot injuries. She became severely depressed and put on ten stone in weight in just 18 months.

She has already lost half of that and hopes to lose more as she competes in swimming, archery, power lifting and rowing.

She said: "It has made me realise that I am still worthy and I am deserving. My motto has become: if I can do this, anyone can do this.

"The pain had become so bad that sometimes I couldn’t get out of bed, lift my head off the pillow or wash my hair. I also didn’t want to leave the RAF, I was medically discharged, and I think that all took a massive toll on my mental health. There was huge kudos for me being a member of the armed forces. It was a matter of immense pride.

"I joined up when I was 17 and you become quite institutionalised. The force is like your family. To be parted from that is a huge wrench. It was all I knew. When I was made to leave it was at a time I was feeling really poorly and it all took its toll on me, to be honest.

"I am now surrounded by people who have struggled with the same thing. I know I can message any of the people here and just ask to talk and they are there for me."

Prince Harry laughs at the launch of Team UK for the 2020 Invictus Games
POOL/AFP via Getty Images

She described Harry’s involvement as "wonderful", saying: "That someone of his standing is doing this to raise awareness, it just wonderful."

Asked about her selfie, she exclaimed: "Oh my gosh! I just put my arm around him and it all went a bit wrong. I said: 'Oh I am so sorry, my arm has just [got] stuck on your bottom'."

"He just laughed, thankfully. He is so friendly. He is so normal, ex-serving military, he knows what we are on about and can relate to what we are talking about. He is amazing. He has had struggles with his own mental health at times and can relate to us. So it’s just wonderful. He is a great ambassador for this."

Chatting with more of her team-mates, Harry was asked what he got out of the experience, as people queued to thank him for what he had done in setting up the games.

Harry said: "It’s an honour and a privilege to be able to start something that guys can use . Every single one of you deserves to be recognised and we know already how sport can help physically and mentally [with recovery]

"You have fought your way from injury to be here today. It is a little bit of magic. It is really, really special.

"This an opportunity for you guys to serve your country. Do not underestimate the impact you guys are having on other people too. Others will be watching you on TV and will recognise and empathises and be inspired by your story, where you come from and where you are now."

Prince Harry speaks to Invictus Games participants
POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Among those he met was Andy Kerr, 51, a serving soldier with the Royal Engineers for 35 years, who played rugby at the highest level but was forced to give up the sport he loved after suffering a neck injury.

He persuaded Harry to pose for a picture with Ellie, a rhino mascot given to him by his now adult daughter, Elleanor, when she was 13.

He explained afterwards that he had taken the mascot with him "everywhere" - including Iraq and Afghanistan.

He is planning to compete on archery, shot-put, long jump and discus.

Rachel Williamson, 30, who sprained her right thumb playing rugby for the RAF but as a result of a series of medical issues has now lost the use of her whole arm, was also today named as captain of Team GB.

She said: "What a journey we have ahead of us. We take small steps first. For some of us it’s just getting up in the morning to get to the gym or learn a new sport or even make a new friend. For others it is about competing in a much larger environment. It is life changing either way, it really is.

"We all go in dark places, we have good days and bad days. I was a medic in the past and being a patient didn’t come easy to me. But this has changed people’s mind-set overnight.

"I was in such a bad place personally. I wouldn’t talk to anyone about it, not my parents or my friends. I was ashamed that I wasn’t as good as I used to be. I had no job, I would sit on the sofa each day in my pyjamas watching daytime TV. Invictus has given me a whole different mental outlook on life as well as physical one. Everything has turned and I feel so proud.

"It was a leap of faith for me but my message is: be brave, do it, you won’t regret it."

Rachel said the prince had told her that she had a "great bunch" of people on her team.

"He said just get out there, be yourself," she added.

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