Prince Harry Shares His Advice for Prince Archie — and What His Son Wants to Be When He Grows Up

“Nothing would make his mum and me prouder than to see him have the character of what we see before us today,” the Duke of Sussex said on stage at the Invictus Games

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Prince Harry speaks on stage at the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games at The Hague in 2022. Photo:

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Prince Harry shouted out the most important boy in his life at the latest Invictus Games.

The Duke of Sussex, 38, touched on Prince Archie’s career aspirations and his advice for his son in his opening ceremony speech at the Invictus Games in The Hague in April 2022, which resurfaced in the new limited series Heart of Invictus, released Wednesday. The Netflix docuseries follows competitors from six countries training for the fifth cycle of the international adaptive sports competition for service personnel and veterans, held in the Netherlands after two years of pandemic delays.

After a warm introduction and sweet kiss from his wife Meghan Markle (with whom he shares 4-year-old Archie and 2-year-old daughter Princess Lilibet), Prince Harry pointed out the "boundless humility, the compassion and the friendship" of the Invictus Games while highlighting the Netherlands and the Ukrainian team, in particular.

"To be role models, or the role models that each of you are, takes strength and it takes courage,” Harry said.

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Prince Harry speaks on stage during the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games at The Hague in 2022. Joern Pollex/Getty

"When I talk to my son Archie about what he wants to be when he grows up, some days it's an astronaut, other days it's a pilot — a helicopter pilot obviously — or Kwazii from Octonauts," he continued, nodding to his British Army service and the children's show Meghan has said Archie likes. 

"But what I remind him is that no matter what you want to be when you grow up, it's your character that matters most, and nothing would make his mum and me prouder than to see him have the character of what we see before us today," Harry said. The Duke of Sussex added that those involved with the Invictus Games have "overcome immense challenges" and therefore "are healing and teaching the world as you go."

Heart of Invictus comes from Prince Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Productions hub, in partnership with the Invictus Games Foundation. The inspiring series was helmed by Academy Award-winning director and producer duo Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara, and Prince Harry served as an executive producer.

The Duke of Sussex served in the British Army from 2005 to 2015, rising to the rank of Captain and deploying twice to Afghanistan. He launched the Invictus Games in London in 2014 after being inspired by the Warrior Games in the U.S. The sports tournament aims to amplify the transformative physical, psychological and social powers of sports for those who have served, and has continued with competitions in Orlando (2016), Toronto (2017) and Sydney (2018), as well as The Hague last year.

Heart of Invictus. Prince Harry Duke of Sussex and David Wiseman in Heart of Invictus.
Prince Harry and David Wiseman cheer in the stands at Invictus Games in The Hague in 2022, as seen in "Heart of Invictus" on Netflix.

Courtesy of Netflix

Elsewhere in the docuseries, Harry nodded to his children again by putting on a “Papa Bear” baseball cap, the name he previously said Archie calls him. The Duke of Sussex donned the hat for a hike with David Wiseman and J.J. Chalmers, both British Army veterans, fathers and former Invictus Games competitors. The trio walked, talked and had a heart-to-heart about fatherhood, military service and the impact of Invictus. 

The new series hits queues before the 2023 Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, Germany, which will run from Sept. 9 to 16. A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex previously confirmed to PEOPLE that Meghan will attend the Games with Prince Harry, as she has in the past.

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Heart of Invictus. Meghan Markle Duchess of Sussex in Heart of Invictus.
Meghan Markle smiles at Invictus Games in The Hague in 2022, as seen in "Heart of Invictus" on Netflix.

Courtesy of Netflix

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are delighted to attend the Invictus Games 2023 in Düsseldorf. The Duke will be in attendance throughout the entirety of the games and will be joined by The Duchess shortly after the games begin,” a spokesperson said in a statement last week.

While speaking to PEOPLE about Invictus last year, Prince Harry shared what he wanted his kids to know about his time in the military.

“That I am grateful for every experience I had in and out of my uniform. That I learned how to be in true service for others. That finding your purpose is one of the most gratifying experiences. And that working hard should be fulfilling and rewarding at the same time,” Prince Harry told PEOPLE.

Heart of Invictus is now streaming on Netflix.

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