Prince Harry embraced British TV star Alison Hammond and told her he loves his family on live TV at an event in Birmingham that Meghan Markle had originally planned to attend.
The Duke of Sussex also raced the This Morning and Bake Off host and his friend JJ Chalmers in a game of laser tag as he promoted the Invictus Games, amid reports that his wife and their two children will join him in the UK.
Meghan, Archie and Lilibet are not expected to take part in any public engagements, although discussions about a possible reunion with King Charles in the coming days are ongoing.
Harry gave an interview with Alison for ITV, where he spoke passionately about Invictus before admitting that Meghan, Archie and Lilibet are ‘proud’ of his work for wounded veterans.
The Duchess of Sussex had hoped to support Harry at today’s ‘One Year to Go’ event at the NEC, but she did not travel to Britain with him earlier this week because of security concerns.
She and the children have been holidaying in Europe – but there are reports they will fly in for the weekend.
Speaking live on This Morning, Alison told her friend Harry: ‘Honestly, your kids and Meghan must be so proud of you. Do they tell you every day?’
Harry smiled and replied: ‘They don’t tell me every day that they’re proud of me, but yeah, I’m proud of them, they’re proud of me. I love my family.’
He also said he was ‘excited’ to be in Birmingham and it was ‘great’, given the Midlands city was the ‘centrepoint where so many of the wounded soldiers came back through from Afghanistan’.
Prince Harry embraced TV star Alison Hammond as he marks one year until the Invictus Games in Birmingham
The Duke of Sussex is greeted by Alison Hammond, during a visit to Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC)
The Duke of Sussex took on the This Morning presenter in a laser gun event
Harry, Alison and JJ Chalmers also did a running race around the NEC
Prince Harry takes part in a pickleball match during an event to mark the ‘Invictus Games Birmingham 2027: One Year To Go’, at the NEC in Birmingham today
Harry posed for selfies at today’s event
He added: ‘Being here back in Birmingham means a hell of a lot to most of these guys’, saying it was a ‘real homecoming for some of them’. The Duke also said there was ‘resilience in every single one of us’ and hoped Invictus will inspire more people with both physical and mental injuries.
In a light-hearted interview, Alison Hammond invited the prince to her house in Birmingham for ackee and saltfish – but said she needed to tidy up first. He joked that he would happily bleach her toilet.
Harry also called football ‘soccer’ when talking about the World Cup quarter-finals before apologising and correcting himself.
Ms Hammond said: ‘You can watch it at my house.’ Harry, who called himself Alison’s ‘biggest fan’, said: ‘Er, maybe.’
Alison then said: ‘Have a think about it. I’ll go and get everything ready in the house, a little tidy up. Bleach the toilets.’
Harry replied: ‘Okay, why does it need tidying up? I’ll bleach your toilet for you. For you, anything.’
He also told Alison: ‘By the way my kids love Junior Bake Off.’
With Arthur Fery in the Wimbledon semi-final today, Harry showed off his racquet skills when he tried pickleball – an alternative to tennis – at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in the Second City.
Meghan is now widely expected to travel to Britain with Archie and Lilibet, with some claiming they are already here, fuelling speculation that the King could finally meet his California-based grandchildren for the first time in four years.
Helen Helliwell, chief executive of Invictus Games Birmingham 2027, opened the event by saying: ‘Invictus has always been more than a week of games.’
She added: ‘It transforms lives not only for competitors but for their families.’
Harry was joined by This Morning and Great British Bake Off host Alison Hammond, who is from Birmingham, and TV presenter Ade Adepitan, who won a bronze with the GB basketball team at the 2004 Paralympics.
The duke joined a partner on court to compete against another pair in pickleball, which will make an appearance when the games are staged in Birmingham next year.
Harry was clearly enjoying himself at the ‘One Year to Go‘ event, with one particularly funny moment where he went to shake hands with an opponent and pulled away his hand, sparking roars of laughter.
Harry was later joined by former defence minister Al Cairns to compete in a game of wheelchair rugby where he was seen clattering into other competitors.
At one point he threw a blind pass over his head straight into the arms of a teammate, who crossed the try-line, a move praised by TV presenter Ade Adepitan who won a bronze with the GB basketball team at the 2004 Paralympics.
Mr Adepitan, said about wheelchair rugby, a favourite sport among fans at past Invictus Games: ‘This is a fantastic exhibition, a fantastic opportunity for people who’ve never seen the sport and never seen these athletes compete.
‘And you know, when you’re on there, you’ve got to do it justice.’
Harry then watched on as veterans, including Mr Cairns, took part in a hybrid athletics event, where the Duke chuckled at the MP’s efforts to jump repeatedly on to a box.
The royal, who arrived in London on Monday, has not been joined in the UK by Meghan or their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet due to a row over security.
However, it was last night reported that the Duchess of Sussex and the children could be coming to the UK this weekend, although the trio are not expected to be seen at any public engagements.
If, as expected, the Sussexes make their home at Althorp, the ancestral home of Harry’s maternal family, the Spencers, for the next couple of days, it may be that a meeting with King Charles doesn’t take place until this weekend – or possibly even Monday, before His Majesty embarks on another busy week of engagements.
Highgrove, Sandringham or Windsor could be a venue, as Harry has made clear he won’t bring his family to London because he is convinced it is ‘unsafe’.
The Duke of Sussex yesterday met seriously ill children and nurses at Birmingham Children’s Hospital as his five-day trip to Britain continued.
Harry toured the wards as he marked the 20th anniversary of the hospital’s WellChild Nurse programme, having been patron of the charity for 18 years.
Harry and Alison hatched a plan to watch the football later, which Harry called ‘soccer’ before apologising
Harry participates in Wheelchair Rugby during the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027, One Year To Go Event at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham
Harry was clearly enjoying himself, cheering on a fine shot in the match
The Duke of Sussex also feigned being over competitive about the match, jokingly berating a teammate and also made everyone laugh by refusing to shake an opponent’s hand
Harry is towards the end of a five-day trip to the UK
It has been reported Meghan could make her first return to the UK since 2022, accompanied by her children Prince Archie, seven, and five-year-old Lilibet, in time for the weekend – but will not be seen in public
Harry’s visit to the UK is part of the ‘One Year to Go‘ celebrations for the next Invictus Games in the city in July 2027.
On Wednesday, he was also at the Royal Hospital Chelsea for meetings about the Invictus Games Foundation, including a summit for international team managers.
They spoke about plans for the Invictus Spirit Awards in the capital this September.
While Harry was in Birmingham, other members of the Royal Family carried on with a busy series of summer engagements – with the duke’s estranged brother Prince William travelling to Hastings on Thursday to meet a fishing community as well as local youth-led and community-driven organisations.
In Birmingham yesterday, Harry was surrounded by nurses when he visited the hospital and spoke about the ‘financial difficulties’ facing the NHS.
Harry was highlighting WellChild’s specialist nursing programme, helping seriously ill children and their families transition from the hospital to their homes.
His appearance caused excitement in the hospital corridors, with one female medic receiving a hug.
Families asked for pictures and the duke posed for a group shot with around a dozen nurses, telling them: ‘Thank you for everything you do.’
Harry met two nurses funded by WellChild, which facilitates the early discharge of children by teaching their parents the skills needed to provide care at home, and met some of the young patients.
In a lighter moment the duke revealed his son’s love of toy building bricks when he shared stories with Alec Hill, 12, and his parents.
‘Do you know who’s obsessed with Lego? My son Archie – and he’s a master builder,’ said Harry.
Harry’s five-day visit to the UK, which moved to Birmingham yesterday, is part of the ‘One Year to Go’ celebrations for the next Invictus Games in the city in July 2027.


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