Invictus athlete James Phelps has shared his experiences of reuniting with Prince Harry at the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver, where the 44-year-old veteran competed in multiple sports.
Speaking at the Vancouver Convention Center on Saturday, Phelps discussed his participation in skeleton biathlon, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair basketball at this year's Games.
The former serviceman, who is recognisable by his distinctive blue beard, has a unique connection with the Duke of Sussex dating back to their shared military service in Afghanistan.
Phelps recalled his first encounter with Prince Harry during their deployment to Afghanistan in 2012, when the Duke visited his squadron.
Veteran who served with Prince Harry lifts lid on Duke's current state in candid admission
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"We were working with search and rescue helicopters," Phelps told Us Weekly. "He came over and just did a tour of our squadron and stuff — taking pictures and things."
At the time, Harry was serving with the Apache squadron, whilst Phelps was part of a Search and Rescue Squad that would go on to save 500 lives.
Their paths crossed during a significant period, as Phelps noted: "We had a big attack at Camp Bastion. It was September 2012."
Nearly a decade after their paths first crossed in Afghanistan, Phelps and Harry reunited in San Diego in 2023.
James Phelps is recognisable by his blue beard
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"He came down and picked, like, eight of us to have lunch with them," Phelps revealed. "When we sat down we shared stories about how we had met before — he signed my line badge and gave me a Prince Harry coin."
The veteran emphasised the personal nature of the meeting: "There were no cameras. There was nothing, no publicity. It was just him and a bunch of guys."
During their reunion, Harry playfully nicknamed Phelps "blue beard," referencing his distinctively coloured facial hair which he began dyeing in 2023.
Phelps spoke warmly of Harry's genuine understanding of veterans' experiences through the Invictus Games.
Harry had served in the British Army in AfghanistanPALATEST ROYAL NEWS:
Prince Harry served in the British army for 10 yearsGetty"He truly understands," Phelps said. "Like, he's been through situations like most of us here have, so just the genuine nature of him putting this together for people who have been through similar things."
The veteran described the unique atmosphere at the Games in Vancouver.
"This has been so inspiring," he said. "Just the people here are positively charged — you can almost, like, smell it in the air."
"There is nothing like this in the world," Phelps added, noting that whilst rugby is his favourite sport, "skeleton is probably the most adrenaline-filled."
