‘Guten Abend’: Prince Harry shows off his impressive language skills as he speaks in German via video link ahead of the Invictus Games event in Berlin – after confirming he will attend King Charles’s coronation without Meghan
- Duke of Sussex speaks in video address at Invictus Games event in Berlin
- In 150 days, the competition will start in Düsseldorf in September
Prince Harry spoke in German when he made his first public appearance following confirmation that he will attend the coronation of his father, King Charles III, alone.
The Duke of Sussex opened a speech in Berlin by confidently saying “guten abend meine damen und herren,” which translates as “good evening, ladies and gentlemen.”
Harry, 38, appeared yesterday in the video shown during the Invictus Games event, which is 150 days away from competition kicking off in Düsseldorf in September.
The duke – who will attend the coronation in London without wife Meghan or their children Archie and Lilibet – has previously said he wishes he could speak German.
The Duke of Sussex appears in a video yesterday at an Invictus Games event in Berlin
Yesterday, Harry Hendrik Wüst, Prime Minister of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, thanked MPs and Team Germany for their support.
He said: ‘Guten abend meine damen und herren. First and foremost, I would like to thank Prime Minister Wüst, MPs, Team Germany and everyone here tonight for their continued support. We’re only 150 days away.”
Harry – who wore a navy blue suit and white shirt in the clip – launched the games for wounded, wounded and sick servicemen and women nearly a decade ago, in 2014.
At an Invictus Games event in Dusseldorf last September, he opened a speech in German saying, “Hello, Dusseldorf. We, Meghan and I, are very happy to be here today” — before wiping his forehead and smiling, adding, “That’s about where it ends.”
Harry didn’t learn the language at school and joked about his lack of understanding in 2015 during a German lesson on a royal tour of New Zealand.
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla are photographed in Malton, North Yorkshire, on April 5
Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Charles at Westminster Abbey in London in March 2019
He then said: ‘I learned French in school, but I almost forgot it all. I’m sorry. I really wanted to learn Spanish, but my principal told me not to worry. I wish I could speak German.’
Last month, on March 29, Harry’s father Charles gave a partial German speech at Berlin’s Bellevue Palace during his state visit to the country.
Harry’s grandfather, the late Prince Philip, who died in April 2021, was known to be fluent in German – and all four of Philip’s older sisters married German aristocrats.
Earlier this month, Buckingham Palace and a spokesman for the Sussexes confirmed on April 12 that Harry would attend the coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6.
The late Queen Elizabeth II, Charles, Camilla, William, Kate, Harry and Meghan attend Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, 2020
However, Meghan is staying at home in the US with their children Archie and Lilibet after “extensive discussions” between London and California.
It is clear that the King and Prince William have not had any meaningful dialogue with Harry since the late Queen’s funeral at the Abbey last September.
Harry will play no part in next month’s official procession, walking in and out as a guest. The front row seats are reserved for working members of the royal family.
Friends of the Sussexes have said Harry’s visit to Britain will be a ‘quite quick journey’ and he will only attend the coronation at the abbey.
