Exclusive: Prince Harry's beautiful message to British couple after Invictus engagement
Prince Harry has shared his joy after a British couple became engaged at the 2025 Invictus Games.
"At Invictus, we provide a space for healing, outstanding athleticism, and in James and his new fiancée’s case, even if you don’t leave with a medal, you could leave with a ring!" he told HELLO! exclusively.
James Cairns, a British competitor proposed to his girlfriend of four years Hannah Wild on Sunday February 9 after he took part in the wheelchair basketball pool.
"Invictus has been my driving force because I've been struggling with my mental health," James told HELLO!
"This past year I've lost about seven people who died by suicide after battling PTSD. It's been a big toll on me but it was Hannah that pushed me and gave me the driving force to apply for the Invictus Games, and now we're here in Canada."
"It was a bit of a blur," laughed Hannah of the moment she was asked to walk out on the court where James was going to propose.
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"It was a yes straight away in my head but I kept thinking, 'What are you doing? Why are you doing this to me in front of all these people?' But it was a proud moment, and it's the best place that James could have done it because it means so much to him."
Their two-year-old son Arthur was asleep during the proposal, but they woke him up for the pictures – where they distracted the "grouchy" toddler with dinosaur jokes.
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James joined the British army in 2008 and joined the Royal Yorks. He was deployed in 2011 to Afghanistan as part of the Brigade Reconnaissance Forces (BRFs), but on October 31, 2011 he was shot in the leg by a sniper.
He underwent two years of rehab to try to save his leg before the doctor decided it would be best to amputate, and he had to "start my rehab process all over again, to learn to walk again and do things".
"It's been a long road to recovery but I've had my family supporting me, my brother and my aunt, and my grandma who has passed away now," said James, who has also been supported on their journey to the Invictus Games by the Royal British Legion..
As for the ring, he picked a diamond ring with smaller encrusted diamonds on the band, revealing that he "sent it to Hannah's mum to get approval first".
Team UK did not win their basketball pool but for James he's already won Gold.
