King Charles Reacts to Meeting Athlete Who Competed in Prince Harry's Invictus Games

Mar. 15, 2025

King Charles and David Henson at the Centre for Injury Studies at Imperial College London on Feb. 19, 2025.Photo:KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH/POOL/AFP via Getty

Britain’s King Charles III (L) talks with British parasport athlete, and former soldier-turned researcher, David Henson (R), during a visit to the Centre for Injury Studies at Imperial College London on February 19, 2025, to see how Imperial applies lessons learned from previous conflicts, including in Afghanistan and Iraq, to support those wounded in Ukraine, ahead of the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH/POOL/AFP via Getty

King Charleshad a kind word for a veteran with a connection to his younger son,Prince Harry.

On Feb. 19, the King met Dr. Dave Henson during a visit to the Centre for Injury Studies at Imperial College London, where they spoke about the power of sport to help heal. King Charles, 76, made the stop to highlight the U.K.’s support for injured service personnel in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion ahead of the third anniversary of the conflict next week.

King Charles and David Henson at the Centre for Injury Studies at Imperial College London on Feb. 19, 2025.Kirsty Wigglesworth - WPA Pool/Getty

King Charles III speaks to David Henson a former soldier and Paralympian and now a researcher during a visit to Injury Studies at the Imperial College London’s White City Campus to highlight the UK’s support to injured service personnel in Ukraine on February 19, 2025 in London, England.

Kirsty Wigglesworth - WPA Pool/Getty

“Are you still taking part in games and sports?” the King asked Henson, who was made an MBE for his services to the military in 2014 and earned a PhD in Amputee Biomechanics from Imperial College London in 2020.

“Fantastic,” King Charles replied.

“I’m back in the defense industry now, working, I’ve got three children,” Henson said about his schedule today.

Dave Henson, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the Athletics Competition during day two of the Invictus Games The Hague 2020 at Zuiderpark on April 17, 2022 in The Hague, Netherlands.

Chris Jackson/Getty

PEOPLE understands that Prince Harryextended invitationsto several members of the royal family, including his father the King, for the anniversary service. However, they did not attend amid the ongoing family rift. (Despite apositive meetingbetween the father and son in February 2024 following news of the King’scancer diagnosis, a friend of Harry’s told PEOPLE over the summer that theDuke of Sussex’s “calls go unanswered.")

Prince Harry presents UK Armed Forces Athlete Dave Henson with Gold in the 200m greets athletes at the track and field events from the crowd during the Invictus Games Orlando 2016 at ESPN Wide World of Sports on May 10, 2016 in Orlando, Florida.

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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex gives a speech as he attends the Whistler Welcoming Ceremony

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“I wish that we could close this down because there wasn’t a need for it, but as long as there’s a need for it, we will keep it going,” Prince Harry tells PEOPLE.

source: people.com

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