Prince Harry Wraps 2025 Invictus Games with Powerful Speech, 'From One Soldier to Another'

The Duke of Sussex spoke from the heart on the last day of the Invictus Games in Canada

Prince Harry is wrapping up the 2025 Invictus Games — but not before sharing an important message with the world.

The Duke of Sussex, 40, took the stage at the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler on Feb. 16, delivering a heartfelt speech to the veterans and service personnel who competed in the adaptive sporting events.

"O Canada," Prince Harry began, singing the opening bars of the Canadian national anthem. "You’ve only gone and done it again. Did we all have fun?" He then thanked organizers, officials, authorities, "all Canadians," the host First Nations and athletes' loved ones. 

"To our Invictus wives, husbands, girlfriends, boyfriends, kids, grandparents and friends, if you can, please stand and be recognized — we salute you," the Duke of Sussex said. "To our comrades, friends or loved ones who we lost to battle or to suicide, tonight we honor you too."

Related: Prince Harry Opens Up About Family, Invictus and Having Wife Meghan Markle 'by My Side' (Exclusive)

"To those of you whose journey to these Games has been difficult and uncertain, who questioned whether you would even make it here today, thank you for showing us what is possible," he said.  "In the pursuit of saving yourselves, you have also saved all of us. Those who love you and those who don’t even know you."

Harry described how he had spent 11 days meeting families from all over the world, "from different beliefs, backgrounds and abilities," and that he could see "how you've changed them." 

"Being a hero, being a role model, it’s not just about resilience, skill or power. It’s about integrity. Compassion. Courage," he said. "You give us hope through your healing, honesty and humanity, and of course through your humor! You know exactly what I'm talking about. It's an in-house joke," which made the crowd laugh. "Our entire Invictus community, whether here tonight or watching from home, is making the world a better place, and you’re doing it by being your awesome selves," Harry said.

Pointing to the time and place, Prince Harry acknowledged that the Invictus community was together once more, a decade after its inaugural launch, "in a world still full of strife and trauma." 

"And as much as we wish these Games weren’t necessary, I understand why they are still needed, perhaps more than ever," he said. "It’s because of the strength you give to the world. The power of your example. Your duty to one another. You may swear allegiance to different flags, but you stand united in your decency, your compassion, and your spirit of service."

"Now I can’t stand before you and promise there won’t be challenging times ahead. But I promise you, you’re better equipped now than you were before," he continued. "You’ve reclaimed what was lost. Restored what was broken. Achieved the impossible."

The Duke of Sussex urged: "Remember what makes you tick. Hold onto it. Rely on it. Use it for yourself and those around you, for service to one another will save us."

Calling to Invictus' future following its tenth anniversary year, Harry pledged that the Invictus Games will go on for as long as they are needed. 

"While I never expected that we would still be here in 2025, from one soldier to another, I also promise you this — So long as our brothers and sisters are striving to heal and grow, the Games will go on," he said. "So long as there are those around the world who view you with sympathy, rather than admiration and respect, the Games will go on."

"And so long as the challenges around us demand it and require it… the Games will go on," Prince Harry said. "Bring on Invictus Games. Birmingham 2027. You have permission to party."

Related: Prince Harry Reveals His Candid 'Wish' for Invictus Games at 10 Years (Exclusive)

Prince Harry also gave a speech at the event's opening ceremony on Feb. 8, moving some of the athletes to tears.

"In this moment of difficulty and division in many parts of the world, we gather here in Vancouver in a spirit of unity. We represent 23 nations. Speak many different languages and reflect the full breadth of the world’s religions and faiths,” the Duke of Sussex said. “Beyond any differences, here at the Invictus Games, we are grounded in mutual respect, competing fiercely but believing in one another, supporting one another and rooting for one another."

Harry shared that the Invictus Games were created in 2014, stemming from "a promise that I made to myself — a promise to uphold my obligation, my sacred obligation after my own decade and privilege of military service — to do whatever I could to help my fellow brothers and sisters heal and to champion everything that we stand for."

"Over the past decade, I've lost count of the times that we've heard you tell us that the Invictus Games 'saved you.' Respectfully, I disagree," he added. "Invictus didn't save you. You saved yourself."

The closing ceremony at Rogers Arena in Vancouver was headlined by a star-studded lineup with performances from Jelly Roll, Barenaked Ladies and The War and Treaty.

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Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE at the Invictus Games on Feb. 9, the Duke of Sussex shared his sincere hope for the event he founded over a decade ago.

"I wish that we could close this down because there wasn’t a need for it, but as long as there’s a need for it, we will keep it going," Prince Harry said.

He added, "From a personal aspect, I’m just really grateful and proud for everybody who has been involved in the planning and the organization. So many people said to me after the opening ceremony, 'How do you guys keep this going, with the world the way that it is? With the financial piece to this, how do you keep this going?' I said, 'With a really, really strong team behind it and people all over the world who know the value of putting something like this on.' "