Harry brushing up on Dutch ahead of Invictus Games in The Hague
Th event will take place from April 16 to April 22.
The Duke of Sussex is brushing up on his Dutch ahead of the Invictus Games, which is due to take place in The Hague next month.
A video posted on social media shows Harry learning the language and wearing an entirely orange outfit, getting in the spirit for his trip to the Netherlands in a few weeks.
The video comes after it was confirmed Harry will miss his grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial service.
On Friday, a spokesperson for the duke said Harry will not return to the UK from the US to join the royal family at the high-profile occasion in Westminster Abbey on March 29.
He hopes to visit his grandmother the Queen soon, the spokesperson added.
In a video retweeted by the Invictus Games Foundation, Harry appears on a video call learning Dutch from four people.
He says: “One more time guys, please, you know I need to get this right, and I really want to get it right as well, so how do I say ‘Good afternoon, you’ve done a great job’ in Dutch?”
He is praised for his attempt at saying the sentence in Dutch, and then asks: “And what else, anything else I need to know?”
One of the people helping him says: “Can you say stroopwafel?”
And he replies: “Stroopwafel. Love those.”
Harry asks the people on the call: “Do you think I’m ready?”
And he is told: “We think you’re ready.”
Speaking in Dutch, Harry says: “Thank you. See you soon in The Hague.”
Harry is told to not forget his hat, at which point he dons an orange hat, orange sunglasses and unzips his jacket to reveal an orange T-shirt and stands up to show off orange trousers.
Pointing at the camera, Harry says: “Let’s go. We’re ready.”
The tweet says: “Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, is getting ready for the Netherlands with some Dutch lessons.
“We look forward to giving him a warm welcome in #TheHague.
“As we all prepare for The Games, our thoughts are with Team Ukraine, as well as their friends & family.”
Harry was inspired to found his Invictus Games after attending the Warrior Games in Colorado in 2013 and seeing how the challenge of competitive sports aided the recovery of injured members of the American forces.
He went on to stage the inaugural games in London’s Olympic Park in 2014, followed by Orlando in 2016, Toronto in 2017 and Sydney in 2018.
The Invictus Games will take place in The Hague from April 16-22.