WeAreInvictus - X

[ConstantGarden1]

A fitting endorsement from Fred Hargreaves OBE who on X wrote, “As ever, a genuine and heart-felt speech from the Duke of Sussex - the driving force and passion behind the #InvictusGames. So good to see this Award, and share the stage with Elizabeth, Kirsty and Israel.”

From the Royal Website, how the ‘driving force’ - Harry - brought Invictus into being:

https://www.royal.uk/invictus-games

Positive Harry posts have been flooding X. Haters were out too. Some negatively posting in a quasi-forensic manner. No ‘gotcha’ revelations, however, nor tens of thousands of likes which the repost of Harry’s speech on ESPN by the knowledgeable Robert Griffin III now has. In less than 2 days 51+K likes and still rising.

I also checked out some (too many) #Sussexsquad posters. It revealed teachers, veterans, different nationalities, colours, creeds, nurses, retired folk etc etc. Thus I formed a completely different understanding about the use of the hashtag to support the Sussex family. There were also very strange users of the hashtag too. The hashtag was additionally utilised to send the message out on X to put the anti-Harry and Meghan posters or ‘derangers’, as they are often called, on mute and not to engage. Quite a restrained and civil position to promote and many did just that. Invictus awareness was successfully brought to those who had never heard of the international fraternity of veterans with disabilities and injuries by this hashtag alone.

Watching the videos on X I saw Harry speak with sincerity and humility under pressure. His words, “The truth is, I stand here not as Prince Harry, Pat Tillman Award recipient, but rather a voice on behalf of the Invictus Games Foundation and the thousands of veterans and service personnel from over 20 nations who have made the Invictus Games a reality. This award belongs to them. Not to me.”

Harry has now been awarded, by a very diverse online presence, a new respect. And I do believe he’s also a jolly good fellow…and so say many, many, many of us. 😊💙

I am so glad I went on my very new X twitter account for I was disgusted with the Daily Mail’s use of Pat Tillman’s mother to denigrate Prince Harry as it was totally uncalled for. Call it for what it was - a hit piece of journalism designed to create a mini storm online. We know nothing about the context of how they obtained words supposedly said by Pat’s mother about Harrry. I was aghast too at how Pat’s widow has also been treated by some online posters. Her foundation may not be perfect but she does more than anyone to honour him. Pat’s mother also did not go on any mainstream American media either where her complaints would have been listened to and would have provided the much needed context for the hate motivated article by a newspaper under the spotlight for its nefarious journalism and click bait articles about Harry.

Harry’s response was beautiful. The way Harry acknowledged Pat’s mother went further than him being a royal. It was a standout out moment of what being human is all about. I do believe he’s also a jolly good fellow…and so say many, many, many of us. 😊💙

I'm joy surprised he's gone to be honest, it was a project Harry WAS passionate about, but it's become a cash cow and vanity platform for the greedy pair

Maybe, but there's justified concern about the way Invictus is going and it shouldn't be ignored. This development may be 'innocent', but we shouldn't just assume that.

It's well-known that there is discontent among many veterans at the way things are going. I have no doubt that Harry is genuine in his interest and commitment to Invictus, but I think Meghan should not be involved. She's totally irrelevant and has proved a very divisive figure. There is no reason on earth why Meghan should pic up a mic at any Invictus event - it's Harry's patronage, he's good at relating to the people and up to now has been a popular figurehead.

I don't know how the finances work, but I really hope that Harry and Meghan aren't a drain on Invictus - if they are costing it money, they should butt out or scale down their demands. Do they charge for their presence? Do they demand luxury accommodation, and a clothes allowance etc? I don't claim to know, but I really hope not.

Oh, and on MN I hope there won't be any more 'Let's drool over Meghan's Invictus clothes' threads. That is absolutely what's going wrong with IG!

Yes, it's turning into Meghan's personal fashion parade and fans of hers on here drool about it, that's for sure!

I have to say I was a bit uncomfortable with the Whistler thing and the parading about in Germany. It was almost like the veterans were “props” for the all the fashion and virtue signalling

The message given was that the party REALLY hadn't started until Meghan got there 😳 apologising for being held up. Who did she think she was? The participants are the party. I'm not surprised that people looked at that and thought " what the fuck is going on here?"

It was awful, and using the First Nation people for their own ends was absolutely outrageous.

She was in her deluded element. Harry needed to have said " look it's not about you actually" but he wouldn't want to unleash the hidden face.

PrincessMee

I'd not seen the pictures of her in her little playsuit strolling erm... marching in front of the veterans before.
What on earth was she doing there?

And another fashion fail - someone should have removed the two bits of white cotton dangling from the legs of her shorts.
Oh, wait...

Royalty: Look at you!
Celebrity: Look at me!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/news/video-3018071/Video-Meghan-Markle-seen-Marching-Cycling-medal-ceremony.html
Oh my god, marching ahead of veterans in floppy shorts! She has no idea.

Look at her facial expressions and the hair touching. She really thinks she deserves to be there. She seems oblivious to normal patterns of thought.

Honest to god, it's like 1. She's a highly decorated veteran 2. She thought up Invictus and runs it 3. She's the most special person there. Bonkers.

I seem to recall there was real upset from the veterans side, undoubtedly so, honestly what has she done to head up a load of war heros, especially in that ridiculous outfit - absolutely no honouring of war heros there, it's all oooo look at me I'm so important 🤬

Well she is the most self inflated grandiose grabby little oik there so inhesss that's quite an achievement ... probably with the highest expenses claim too

It is ok. Next time should be better.

I hear lessons have been had.

So was I, smilesy, and while I was another who always admired what Harry did to promote Invictus it just seems a shame to see what it's been allowed to become

On the "expenses" thing, which the public don't know the reality of, isn't this something which should be in the public domain whether they're for H&M or anyone else? I honestly don't know where and how Invictus is registered and what difference that might make, but when I was running a vastly smaller local thing it was expected that it would be disclosed, and was

The accounts are available on the Charity Commission website

But it doesn't have that level of detail, from what I can see

I know, @Baital, but as you say there's little detail and that's something I'd prefer to see no matter who it involved

There really needs to be much more transparency and a breakdown of expenses.
I don’t like the thought of a private jet being used for transport, while the British Legion are using their very much hard earned funds to send competitors to the games.

The expenses are hidden within that of charitable activities. The amount is huge compared to the governance and there’s not much left in the pot at the end of it all.

register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/-/charity-details/5054988/financial-history

😊👍

I don’t like the thought of a private jet being used for transport, while the British Legion are using their very much hard earned funds to send competitors to the games

I guess that would depend on who's providing the private jet, @MummyJ12
Admittedly it might not look good if vets are struggling to raise their own funds to attend, but if it's lent by some "pal" I don't have too much of an issue with that

OTOH if Invictus are paying that's a different matter altogether ...

Edited to add it's that "not much being left in the pot at the end of (the expenses)" which bothers me. If we accept that Harry's massively raised the profile then I'd expect there to be a LOT more than £2 million in the bank, especially when an unknown wad was provided by the RF in the first place, but as so often we're almost completely in the dark

For some reason the link doesn’t work so I’ve screenshot it,