Prince Harry proved to be in his element as his beloved Invictus Games kicked off at the weekend in Düsseldorf, Germany.
The beaming royal looked to be in great spirits as he was seen taking in several events at the games, which runs from 9 to 16 September.
Harry served two tours in war-torn Afghanistan as a RAF helicopter pilot and started the games, styled on the Paralympics, back in 2014 for sick, wounded and injured servicemen and -women.
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Although he's come across in public looking rather glum of late, the prince seemed to be the Harry of old, laughing and joking around with the French rooster mascot at his first appearance at this year's games.
Noticeably absent was his wife, Meghan, who was scheduled to have joined him but whose name had mysteriously disappeared from the official schedule.
However, according to some royal experts, it could be a publicity stint to drum up momentum for the event and the American former actress may well arrive for the closing ceremony.
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After a difficult year, the duke will be keen to make a good impression – and the Invictus Games, long said to be his passion project, is where he shines most.
Harry received a standing ovation as he took to the stage for the opening ceremony.
In an impassioned speech in which he spoke some German and cracked a few jokes, he hinted Meghan would be coming to cheer on not just the American team but the Nigerian one too.
“We don’t play favourites but after my wife found out she is of Nigerian descent, it’s likely to get a little competitive,” he joked.
Last year Meghan announced in her now-defunct Archetypes podcast that she is partly Nigerian after doing a genealogy test.
The fifth in line to the British throne wasn't the only one who received a standing ovation.
The arrival of the Ukrainian team also had the audience on their feet, especially after Harry singled out team member Yuliia "Taira" Paievska, who featured in his new Heart of Invictus Netflix series after she was captured by the Russians.
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As one member of the Great Britain team put it, “Harry may not get good headlines anywhere else but he's not going to get a bad word off me.”
Sources: news.sky.com, express.co.uk, youtube.com