After a year that would have exhausted any normal human being — with the past twelve months including, but not limited to, the death of his grandmother, the coronation of his father, the publication of a much-ridiculed memoir, several court cases and a succession of increasingly embarrassing tell-all interviews — Prince Harry could hardly be blamed for wanting to take the rest of 2023 a bit easier.
The man who emerges from Heart of Invictus is a good deal more likable and accessible than the arrogant, petulant figure in his last Netflix show
Certainly, his relative absence from the recent spotlight suggests that he agrees with the rest of the world that he has been over-exposed of late. But his Netflix deal (some would call it a Faustian pact) which resulted in the dismal Harry & Meghan soap opera, has now borne further fruit in the form of Heart of Invictus, a documentary following the 2022 Invictus Games in the Netherlands, the Prince Harry masterminded initiative for disabled or injured servicemen and veterans.
Even those implacably opposed to the Duke of Sussex must admit that this biannual event, first held in 2014, is both well-intentioned and useful, and so this series comes without the baggage, or weight of expectation, that was placed on Harry & Meghan, which saw newspapers breathlessly liveblog and tweet every (underwhelming) revelation therein. Yet Heart of Invictus appeared on Netflix with minimal fanfare, amid rumors that it had been canceled altogether. The suspicion remains that, amid the Sussexes’ various media deals either being axed or scaled back, people are bored of the duo, and so this well-intentioned show would undeniably have had more impact (and publicity) had Harry not clung quite so determinedly to the limelight recently.
That said, this five-part series is a welcome change of pace. For a start, Harry — blessedly — is not the sole focus here, as the show follows half a dozen competitors in the games. When he’s introduced, he describes himself as having “lots of hats that one wears, but today it’s all about Invictus.” And, thankfully, that proves the case over the series, as he shows his natural rapport with the servicemen competing in the Invictus Games, being alternately compassionate, humorous and inspiring. The man who emerges from Heart of Invictus is a good deal more likable and accessible than the arrogant, petulant figure who seemingly couldn’t see a picture of a member of his family without launching into a ten-minute rant about how badly he had been wronged by them. Had Harry & Meghan and Spare never existed, this would have done nothing but bolster his reputation with the public.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Harry-led Netflix series if there weren’t emotional interviews about subjects close to his heart. So we get him on his mother’s death (“It was never discussed and I didn’t really talk about it and I suppressed it like most other youngsters would have done”), on his return from his first tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2008 (“The biggest struggle for me was no one around me really could help. I didn’t have that support structure, that network or that expert advice to identify what was actually going on with me”) and wellbeing in the armed forces (“If mental health means metal illness, which it doesn’t, but if it does in your mentality, then let’s just put that to one side and talk about mental fitness. If there is a stigma within the military there will be a stigma within society. If we really want to cure the stigma in society then we need to lead the way”). Yet unlike Harry & Meghan’s showboating, he feels engaged and sincere — speaking the truth, rather than his version of it.
And what of the other half of Brand Sussex? Meghan has kept a low profile this year — perhaps suspiciously so, if you were of a cynical disposition — and so her appearances in Heart of Invictus are limited to fleeting cameos, with no sit-down interviews or heartfelt interventions. This feels like deliberate policy by the show’s filmmakers, keeping the focus and intention on its worthy cause rather than adding irrelevant distractions.
In time, Heart of Invictus may be remembered as being the first step in Prince Harry’s rehabilitation in public affections, and therefore acquire considerably more import than this reasonably interesting series would otherwise merit. But as for Meghan? Well, redemption may be a step too far for her in Britain now, and her absence from this Archewell-produced show may tacitly acknowledge this. But I suspect that we have not heard the last of her. Alas.
This article was originally published on The Spectator’s UK website.
