Harry’s back door medals investiture
Prince honours soldier of the year in video filmed at his California home
PRINCE Harry wore his medals to present a soldier of the year award to a combat medic — in a video filmed from the back door of his California home.
The Duke of Sussex paid tribute to his friend, Sergeant Elizabeth Marks, at the Military Times’ Soldier of the Year Awards, describing her as a “beacon of inspiration”. Ms Marks, 33, who joined the US army when she was 17, sustained injuries to both hips while deployed to Iraq in 2010 as a combat medic.
Taking up swimming as part of her recovery, she has won four gold medals at the Invictus Games, founded by Harry, and is also a five-time Paralympic medallist. Speaking via a video message from his home in Montecito, Harry said: “To me, she epitomises the courage, resilience and determination represented across our service community. And this is not just because of her swimming abilities. Ellie has courageously overcome every obstacle to cross her path. She has turned her pain into purpose and led through compassion and willpower, showing others that the impossible is indeed possible.”
Prince Harry continued: “Despite the injuries she endured during her deployment as a medical assistant in Iraq — along with numerous surgeries and setbacks that would have deterred many — she has persevered tirelessly, becoming the first woman in the army’s worldclass athlete programme as well as the first swimmer the programme had ever seen. She has also taken her recovery a step further, using her experiences and achievements to inspire and assist others in their mental and physical journey into sport, ensuring those who can’t see a way out or through are introduced to the medicine of sport that saved her too.”
Prince Harry wore his operational service medal for Afghanistan, which he earned in 2008 for his tour in Helmand Province.
He also wore his Queen’s
Golden Jubilee medal, which was awarded in 2002 to those who had been in active service for five years, and his Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, which was given to members of the emergency services, armed forces, prison service and the royal household in 2012. He also wore his Queen’s Platinum Jubilee medal.
His brother, Prince William, yesterday left a boy speechless when he made a surprise visit to his school after the pupil requested he came to learn about their mental health campaign.
William walked up to Freddie Hadley at St Michael’s Church of England High School in Sandwell, West Midlands, and shook hands after arriving unannounced and left the 12-year-old grinning. Freddie said: “It was a great surprise so I understand why they didn’t tell me, but honestly it’s just been wonderful.”