Prince Harry cheers on wounded vets in first appearance since UK court hearing

Prince Harry cheered on the athletes at the U.S. Army Recovery Care Program's "Warrior Games" on Monday. It was his first public appearance since he flew to London earlier this month to testify in his privacy case against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).

The 38-year-old was spotted in the stands watching the Sitting Volleyball Finals. Photos shared online showed him having a good time, cheering for the players, and chatting with his seatmates.

The "Warrior Games" also announced his presence at the event writing in a tweet, "The final day of competition for #WarriorGames2023 was extra special with a visit from Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex. Prince Harry spent time with athletes and their families and watched the Sitting Volleyball Finals as the 2023 Warrior Games came to a close."

Meanwhile, the U.S. Army Recovery Care Program also took to Twitter to share its gratitude to the Duke of Sussex for sharing a message during the closing ceremony.

"Thank you #DukeOfSussex Prince Harry for all you do to help our wounded, ill and injured service members!"

Others also shared their appreciation for the royal with one commenting, "Love it. Great to see Harry with his military family."

Another wrote, "In his Element..Once served always serving" and a third chimed in, "Love to see it! Congrats to all the warriors."

One more tweeted, "It's always great to see someone like Prince Harry shine a light on these wounded warriors. If the cameras must follow him, then follow him and show real people doing inspiring things!"

This year's Warrior Games took place at the Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California from June 2 to June 12. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle live several hours north in Montecito, Santa Barbara. The duke attended the final day of the games alone.

Prince Harry served in the British Armed Forces for ten years and was deployed to Afghanistan twice. His experience in the army and the war led him to launch the Invictus Games in 2014. But he admitted that he "stole" the concept from the Warrior Games.

"It was such a great concept by America that it had to be stolen. But I wanted to bring it to a broader international audience," the duke said at the time during an interview with People.

He shared that attending the Warrior Games in 2013 "ignited" something in him after he saw "firsthand the power of sport in inspiring recovery and demonstrating life beyond disability." Similarly, the Invictus Games highlights the strength, courage, and determination of the veterans, and the wounded or sick service members from different countries as they compete in various sports.

This year's Invictus Games will take place in Dusseldorf, Germany in September. Last year, it was held from April 6 to April 22 in The Hague, Netherlands. It was initially scheduled for May 2023, but it was delayed due to restrictions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, through their Archewell Production company, are releasing a documentary about the Invictus Games titled "Heart of Invictus," as part of their multi-million contract with the streaming giant. A release date has yet to be announced.

The Better Up CIO's attendance at the Warrior Games marks his first public appearance since he testified in London's High Court earlier this month in his privacy suit against MGN. He is suing the publisher and its publications, including the Daily Mirror, for illegal journalistic practices, including phone hacking.

Prince Harry faced cross-examination on June 6 and 7. He alleged that his and his associates' voicemail messages were hacked because the symbol that signifies there is a new message would disappear even before he gets a chance to read it. The hearing, which started in May, is expected to last six or seven weeks after which the presiding judge, Honourable Justice Fancourt, will give his verdict.