Prince Joachim and Princess Marie share unexpected selfie with Team Denmark at Invictus Games
As the Invictus Games drew to a close on Sunday with a rousing speech from Prince Harry and a sweet tribute from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, another set of royals were having a ball at the heartwarming event.
Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark stopped by the closing ceremony and made sure to snap a selfie with their country's team of athletes in an unexpected move for the royals.
The sweet photo was shared on the official Danish Royal House Instagram and is one of the few public selfies of the Prince and Princess.
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"Thanks for this time, Invictus Games," the pair wrote alongside the snap, which saw them dressed head to toe in Danish Invictus merch with their team behind them.
As Marie took the selfie, Joachim flashed a thumbs-up and smiled at the camera, while the Invictus athletes cheered in the background.
"It was a great and life-affirming experience! We are incredibly proud of our participants and their accompanying families and friends," their message read.
The pair stopped by the Vancouver Whistler games on February 14 and 15 to cheer on their fellow countrymen and even stopped by their training sessions to connect with them ahead of their events.
A trip to Canada was an easy feat for the Danish royals after they moved to Washington D.C. in 2023 with their children, Count Henrik, 15, and Countess Athena, 13.
Their move across the world came a year after Queen Margrethe stripped Joachim's children of their titles in a controversial move that Princess Marie called "complicated".
"We weren't happy about the way it happened — but it's a family thing," she told The Washington Post. "It's also their name. It's their identity since they were born. So it's more than just what people see as a title."
They put all controversy aside to support Team Denmark at the Invictus Games, which ran for eight days and saw 550 injured service members and veterans compete for the win.
The major sporting event is the brainchild of Prince Harry, an ex-serviceman himself, who got the idea after witnessing the power of sport for mental health at the US Warrior Games.
The royal couple stopped for a chat with the father of two on Saturday at a sitting volleyball match, showing support for his noble endeavour.
Harry gave a rousing speech at Sunday's closing ceremony, sharing how proud he was of every athlete for their commitment and perseverance.
"To those of you whose journey to these Games has been difficult and uncertain…who questioned whether you would even make it here today…thank you for showing us what is possible," he said.
"In the pursuit of saving yourselves, you have also saved all of us. Those who love you and those who don't even know you."
He finished by making a moving pledge to the crowd. "So long as our brothers and sisters are striving to heal and grow, the Games will go on," he said.
"So long as there are those around the world who view you with sympathy, rather than admiration and respect, the Games will go on."
He added, "And so long as the challenges around us demand it and require it…the Games will go on."
