Prince Harry's Invictus Games Docuseries Is Coming to Netflix

Every year since 2010, the Defense Department hosts the Warrior Games, a multi-sport competition designed to inspire wounded, injured and sick U.S. service members. Representing their individual service branches, men and women of the Warrior Games demonstrate the power each of them has to overcome their individual disability. The United Kingdom sent a team to the 2013 Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Prince Harry, duke of Sussex, visited the Warrior Games that year. He was inspired to create a similar international competition for the UK’s service members and international allies. The principles were the same: a multi-sport competition that would display the fighting spirit of those who serve their respective countries. He called it “invictus,” Latin for “unconquered.”

In March 2014, the first Invictus Games were held in London and have been held as regularly as possible since. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the 2020 games, scheduled to be held at The Hague, Netherlands, until 2022. It was during these games that Netflix and Archewell Productions (Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's production company) filmed “Heart of Invictus,” a new five-part docuseries that goes behind the scenes with the competitors.

The Invictus Games at The Hague included 500 competitors from 17 nations, which included countries involved in ongoing conflicts, like Iraq and Ukraine. They competed in 10 adaptive sports that included powerlifting, volleyball and wheelchair rugby. The upcoming 2023 games, held in Dusseldorf, Germany, will expand to 21 nations and 550 competitors.

“The Games doesn’t focus on what causes the injury,” Prince Harry says in the new documentary. “But really about the recovery and how to be part of a community again.”

“Heart of Invictus” is the third production for Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Productions. It’s part of a multiyear deal signed with Netflix that started with another docuseries, “Harry & Meghan.” This series told the story of how the couple met, married and decided to extricate themselves from England’s royal family.

The company’s second production was “Live to Lead,” a series of documentaries featuring interviews with a number of world leaders, influencers and activists. Premiering in December 2022, its first episode was about former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Netflix has since cut back on Archewell’s projects, canceling a children’s series, “Pearl.”

The 2023 Invictus Games runs Sept. 9-16 in Dusseldorf, Germany. The 2025 games are scheduled to be held in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada. “The Heart of Invictus” premieres on Netflix Aug. 30, 2023.

-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, or on LinkedIn.

Keep Up With the Best in Military Entertainment

Whether you're looking for news and entertainment, thinking of joining the military or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to the Military.com newsletter to have military news, updates and resources delivered straight to your inbox.