Meghan Markle delivers moving speech about 'Invictus family' to close the games

Meghan Markle showed once again that she’s pretty well equipped for this royal thing on Saturday night. The Duchess of Sussex took the stage at the closing ceremonies of the Invictus Games and gave a heartfelt speech that highlighted what was special about the sporting event for wounded veterans that Prince Harry founded four years ago.

“In that short span of time, the Games have evolved into an international platform of some of the best athletics and sportsmanship you could ever witness, coupled with a camaraderie and close-knit sense of community which can only be defined as the Invictus spirit,” the former Suits actress told the crowd, thanking them for welcoming her into the “Invictus family.”

For the ceremony at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Markle wore an olive green tuxedo dress, custom-designed by Antonio Berardi, that was more professional than flashy. The color also seemed to be a nod to the military.

“During this year’s Games in Sydney I’ve witnessed the most amazing support networks that surround competitors, and I’ve had the privilege of meeting several of these family and friends,” she added.

Markle told the story of American veteran Ryan Novak, who defied his doctor’s prognosis that he would be paralyzed from the waist down for life and went on to compete in swimming, sailing, and athletics at the Games. After his sailing competition, he literally jumped into the Duke and Duchess’s boat to hug them.

“Seeing Ryan’s mom on the water that day, waving a flag to cheer him on was a moment I will never forget,” Markle said. “The support system on the ground here at Invictus is something unlike any other. Because it’s not just cheering on your own, but realizing that by the end of this week, ‘your own’ becomes everyone in the Invictus family.”

Before the ceremony, the mother-to-be gave her husband a bit of low-key support that has royal fans gushing. She photographed Harry rehearsing his speech and gave the pic to the @KensingtonRoyal Twitter account to post, with her credited as the photographer. The photo marks her first turn on social media since Markle deleted the Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts she had before her engagement to Harry.

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