Prince Harry speaks of Meghan's "personal joy" of pregnancy at the Opening Ceremony of the Invictus Games

Prince Harry spoke of his "personal joy", as well as that of Meghan Markle, during his animated speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Invictus Games.

The Duke of Sussex managed to calm his apparent nerves to pay homage to the "Invictus Generation" at the Sydney Opera House Ceremony.

He honored the "Invictus Generation" – service personnel, veterans and war dead.

The Duke thanked the hosts for their hospitality and declared that he and Meghan were "so happy to celebrate the personal joy of our new addition with you all".

He added that he was "proud" to have introduced his wife to them.

Harry, 34, said that mental toughness was "honest about how we feel".

"With the help of medical science, the Invictus generation has not only survived injuries that would have been fatal in past conflicts, but has also chosen to defend itself from the darkest places tonight.

"They showed us the true meaning of resilience.

"When they were opened about their hidden emotional and mental wounds, the Invictus generation showed us that in today's world, being hard means being honest about how we feel – both inside and out. l & # 39; outside. "

He added later: "You're going to do a great show next week."

The grand opening began after being delayed by a tropical storm that shook Sydney.

An impressive flash of light erupted over the opera at the hour before the ceremony began, as a storm brought strange dark clouds, heavy winds and heavy rain.

The spectators were forced to flee for shelter until it passed and Prince Harry admitted that he feared the ceremony would be canceled.

Technical equipment was damaged, which caused delays in the ceremony, according to organizers concerned about health and safety.

Gladys Berejiklian, Prime Minister of New South Wales, immediately escorted heavy rain.

"I was a little worried," Prince Harry told the prime minister as they walked across the room.

"Fortunately, it seems like the sky is clearing now."

Meghan, who was wearing Stella McCartney's dress and coat of X-Files actress Gillian Anderson for Winser London, smiled when the prime minister told the couple "that a lot of people are eager to meet you."

Prince Harry was practicing his speech a few hours before the ceremony on stage in front of his wife Meghan Markle as dark clouds circled over his head.

He then appeared nervous as the royal couple took place before the ceremony, while an animated Meghan was chatting with his neighbor.

Created by Prince Harry, the Invictus Games are an international sporting event for injured or sick personnel and veterans from 13 countries.

The opening ceremony began with an hour late – at 20.30 local time (10.30 GMT) – after the storm.

Crowds encouraged the Duke and Duchess early in the ceremony, said Russell Myers, Royal Mirror Correspondent.

The Sydney Opera House said earlier that the weather would not prevent the opening ceremony.

In a series of tweets, he said: "The opening ceremony tonight Invictus is an important event for all involved, but especially for the contestants, their families and their friends the caregivers who are eagerly awaiting to be on the forecourt of the Aussie Sydney Opera House welcome.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are currently on a 16-day tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand, attended a reception prior to the ceremony at the famous Bennelong Restaurant of the Opera earlier during the day.

They were joined by their competitors and their families, as well as by New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, and Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe OAM (Order of Australia), who acted as master of ceremonies.

Political figures, Invictus ambassadors and even members of royalty gathered to meet the couple.

Jordanian Princess Dina Mired and Prince Mired bin Ra'ad were among the guests who broke into small groups to meet the Sussex during their brief visit.

Leesa Kwok, 32, ambassador and friend of the Invictus family, gave the Duchess a small yellow knitted flower during their meeting.

"It's so beautiful," she remarked.

Kwok, whose husband Jamie Tanner is competing for rugby and wheelchair tennis in Australia, told Meghan how 8,500 hand-knit items had been made specifically for games by a woman. elderly war widow group from Aged Care RSL LifeCare Manager).

"Meghan was really touched by the story and said that the flower was really pretty," said Kwok.

"In fact, I met them both in Toronto last year and offered one of the flowers, and he asked me," Can I get another one for my baby? " ? So it was a pleasure to share a third with his wife.

"The flowers are made to show their support to friends, family and close supporters – something they can wear and show their pride.

"Meghan was interested in the background, she has the incredible ability to connect and make you feel like you're the only person in the room.

"We also talked about the impact of Invictus Games not only on the lives of the competitors, but also on friends and families who are still in difficult times.

"When I said to Meghan, she stopped and said:" Wait, I want my husband to hear that too, they are both so adorable, so caring. "

"In case of bad weather for the opening ceremony, plans are in place to relocate people under cover until they can resume their safe place."

Earlier in the day, Kwok's son, Danyan Jones, flew a remote controlled truck against Harry at Cockatoo Island during the Jaguar Land Rover Driving.

"Harry was delighted to learn that he would be wearing his medal at the opening ceremony," Kwok added.

Prince Harry laughed with Anna Meares, Olympic gold cyclist and Invictus ambassador, when she showed him a 2012 newspaper article, when she beat Victoria Pendleton, the British, at the Beijing Olympics. 2012.

"There is a picture of Harry with his head in his hands when I won the bike race and we laughed about it," said 35-year-old Meares.

"I started chatting with Meghan and congratulated her on the baby, she's beautiful.

"But then, I said," It's great to chat, but what I really want is to get your husband out of Mickey, "and she laughs, saying," Well, here it is! "

The Duke and Duchess spoke to several other guests, including retired Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his wife Jennifer.

After 20 minutes, they were escorted out of the room to go to another area of ​​the room before the opening ceremony of Invictus.

The Duke, along with the Royal Foundation and the Department of Defense, founded the games in 2014, inspired by his visit to the US Warrior Games in 2013.

The first event took place in London, followed by Orlando in 2016, Toronto in 2017 and Sydney this year.

No games were organized in 2015 to allow Orlando planners to raise funds.

Next year, the event will be held in Rotterdam and The Hague.