After their headline-grabbing documentary, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are ready to unveil their latest Netflix project, Heart Of Invictus.
The five-part documentary will go behind the scenes at the Invictus Games, the international sporting competition for injured service men and women launched by the Prince back in 2014, following six contestants as they prepare to take part in the 2022 event.
Produced by the Sussexes’ company Archewell, the show follows last year’s release Harry & Meghan, a three-part series which shed light on the couple’s decision to step back from the royal family, breaking viewing records for the streamer and making headlines around the world in the process.
All eyes will surely be on Harry and Meghan’s latest media venture when it lands on Netflix later this month, so here’s what we know so far about the new release…
What is Heart Of Invictus about?
According to Prince Harry, the show will tell “the incredible story of competitors brought together through service, who are now united through sport”.
These competitors are “in various stages of recovery from both visible and invisible injuries”, Harry says, and will be giving viewers “a compelling look at their journey to the Invictus Games, in a way that commands admiration and respect”.
The show was filmed in the run up to the 2020 Games – which were delayed to 2022 due to the pandemic – and during the competition itself, which took place in The Hague in the Netherlands. It was also the first collaboration between Archewell and Netflix to be announced as part of the Sussexes’ multi-year deal with the streamer.
As well as serving as an executive producer, Prince Harry will also appear on camera.
What are the Invictus Games?
The Prince created the Invictus Games back in 2014, after being inspired by a trip to watch the Warrior Games in the United States. This event for injured service personnel and veterans, which is organised by the US Department of Defence, emphasised to him the positive impact of sport on both physical and mental wellbeing.
“Invictus” means undefeated, and at the Games’ launch, Harry promised that his event would “demonstrate the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and demonstrate life beyond disability”.
The first event took place in London, and further Games then followed in Florida, Toronto and Sydney. The Invictus Games hold a special place in Harry and Meghan’s hearts, too, as the Toronto Games in 2017 marked their first official appearance as a couple.
Is there a trailer for Heart Of Invictus?
The first trailer for the documentary dropped earlier this week, and opens with a snippet from one of Harry’s speeches, before showing clips from the various sporting events, complete with a cheering crowd.
“The games don’t focus on what causes the injury,” the Duke explains in one direct-to-camera segment. Then we’re introduced to some of the contestants, who open up about the challenges that come with life-changing injuries and illnesses. “When I was a soldier, that meant the world to me,” one veteran explains. “Once I was wounded, how do you define yourself then?”
Who else is involved in the documentary?
The series has been placed in the capable hands of Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara, the director and producer duo behind the Oscar-winning short documentary The White Helmets.
Other executive producers include Archewell’s former head of content Ben Browning, Chanel Pysnik, the company’s head of unscripted content, Invictus CEO Dominic Reid, chairman Lord Allen of Kensington, filmmaker Abigail Anketell-Jones and Invictus Foundation trustee and former chairman Sir Keith Mills.
When is Heart Of Invictus on Netflix?
You can watch the series for yourself from 30 August, when all five episodes will be available to stream on Netflix.