Meghan Markle supports military families in new Invictus Games video

Meghan Markle has appeared in a new video for the Invictus Games – showing her secret visit to a home for military families. The Duchess of Sussex, 42, visited the Fisher House Foundation in Los Angeles, a charity that provides homes for military families while their loved one is in hospital, a day before flying out to Dusseldorf last month.

In a clip shown during an Invictus seminar on Monday, Meghan – dressed in a striped Ralph Lauren shirt and black skirt – is shown meeting and hugging veterans’ families. The former actress also narrates the clip, partially set over footage from the Invictus Games, showing athletes hugging their families and celebrating sporting success. ‘What does recovery mean to you? For some, it means reclaiming their narrative, revolutionising your mindset,’ she says in the voiceover. ‘It’s a change that’s not only physical, it’s mental, emotional, social.’

She added: ‘The Invictus Games show that this growth is about more than what meets the eye. The spouse coordinating doctor visits, the children celebrating milestones. The mother, father, fellow veteran, the friend. There is a community near and far, surrounding servicemen and women when they deploy and long after they come home. Healing does not happen alone, it takes a village – and is for the village. And one of the most essential parts of the process is having people surround you who understand. To grow as one unit, to achieve limitless potential. To remind us above all else, in this international family no one gets left behind. Because this is Invictus, we are Invictus together.’ 

After arriving a day late to the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf last month, Meghan revealed the visit to the home caused her delay. Speaking on stage at the time, she said: ‘I was really fortunate to go and visit one of the houses in Los Angeles just a couple of weeks ago, and I was so moved by everything that they do because they understand – as you do, as my husband does in creating the Invictus Games – how much the value of rehabilitation matters, not just as a solitary experience, but as a family.’ 

The Fisher House Foundation is one of the main sponsors of the Invictus Games. The charity sets up homes near military and VA medical centres around the world. The homes have up to 21 suites, with private bedrooms and baths. Families share a kitchen, laundry facilities, a dining room, and a living room for some comfort. The video is not the first time Meghan has lent her voice to project, she famously did voiceover work for Disney+ film Elephant. 

Meghan also made a subtle nod to Kate Middleton with her look, by wearing her Ralph Lauren Collection button down shirt in blue and white stripe that she first wore to Wimbledon Ladies final in 2019 alongside her sister-in-law. She paired it with her Lafayette 148 ‘Rafferty’ midi skirt in black. The royal added Princess Diana’s Cartier watch and her £50,000 Lorraine Schwartz pinky ring made with ‘diamonds gifted from the Middle East’ with various other bracelets.

Prince Harry, who served in the British Army for 10 years and served two tours in Afghanistan, created the Paralympics-style competition for injured, sick and wounded service personnel and veterans, with the first event taking place in 2014. Meghan’s appearance is the latest in a string of royal-style engagements. Meghan and Harry are set to return to New York City today for Archewell’s mental health summit, the first ever in-person event for the foundation. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be in the Big Apple for the event, five months after their ‘near catastrophic car chase’ through the city. The Archewell Foundation’s Parents’ Summit is aimed as helping families navigate children’s mental health and wellness in the digital age.

The event has specifically invited parents who have experienced a loss due to or connected to their child’s social media us. ‘The families have been engaged with The Archewell Foundation for the past year, bolstering community and driving towards solutions,’ a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told PEOPLE. ‘Together, they are united in their mission to share personal experiences, data, and research to ensure the same does not happen to other families,’ they said. They will also be joined by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to discuss mental health in a panel hosted by Carson Daly. Read the full story: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12613551/meghan-markle-fisher-house-foundation.html?ito=msngallery

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