US First Lady Jill Biden will host a virtual event along with Britain’s Prince Harry for athletes involved in the Warrior Games, an event for wounded US military veterans, the White House said late Sunday.
The US Department of Defence Warrior Games, first held in 2010, is normally an annual event “that celebrates the resiliency and dedication of wounded, ill, and injured active duty and veteran US military service members,” the Office of the First Lady said in a statement. The 2021 Warrior Games were scheduled to start this week in Orlando, Florida, “but were canceled to ensure the health and safety of the athletes and their families due to COVID-related concerns,” the statement read. This is their first event together since she became first lady and since Harry and his wife Meghan moved to the United States. The Duchess of Sussex was not included in the list of participants for Monday’s event. Prince Harry, a combat veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan, is founder of The Invictus Games, a multi-national sports event for wounded service members and veterans. He first attended the Warrior Games in 2013 in Colorado.
Jill Biden, Prince Harry and Austin had planned to attend the games in person prior to the games being canceled due to the COVID pandemic, the East Wing of the White House said in a statement Sunday night. The pairing up of Harry with the American first lady could ruffle feathers in London and once again bring up concerns that Harry and Meghan will get involved in US politics. Traditionally, members of the Royal Family are expected to remain politically neutral at all times.
