Is Meghan Markle in Prince Harry’s ‘Heart of Invictus’ Netflix Docuseries?

At long last, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s second major docuseries project hits Netflix. Heart of Invictus, a five-part series following international competitors of the 2022 Invictus Games, premiered on the streaming service this morning. While royal watchers were well aware that Prince Harry would be lending his star power to the project — after all, the Invictus Games is the Duke of Sussex’s baby — it wasn’t clear if the Duchess of Sussex would appear in the program. Would Prince Harry use the series to make potshots at his brother, Prince William? Was it going to be another attempt at Harry and Meghan to peddle out their grievances on a world stage?

Heart of Invictus is a very different Netflix docuseries than last winter’s Harry & Meghan. Sure, Prince Harry speaks to the camera at times and opens up about his own struggles with mental health, but neither the Duke nor the Duchess of Sussex are the primary focus. Instead the former working royals are lending their starpower and connections to boost the stories of former servicemen and women struggling to adapt to civilian life after physical and mental trauma. The bulk of Heart of Invictus is devoted to athletes Gabriel “Gabe” George, Tom Folwell, Na Hyeong-yoon, Kaspar Holm Henriksen, Darrell Ling, and Yulia “Taira” Paievska (whose story takes a tragic turn when she’s called back to the front lines in her native Ukraine on the eve of the 2022 Invictus Games). You’ll find yourself moved by these athletes’ stories and motivated by their emotional transformations.

Of course, that doesn’t mean there isn’t any candid footage that will get royal fans going. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might not be the focus of Heart of Invictus, but they both lend their support…

Is Meghan Markle in Prince Harry’s Heart of Invictus Netflix Series?

Yes, Meghan Markle does appear in Heart of Invictus, but only in a few small scenes. She first pops up in Episode 1 in footage filmed at a 2021 New York City event that she attended with Prince Harry. The camera follows the couple as they prepare to step on their first red carpet in a while, per Prince Harry’s provided commentary. Later, in Heart of Invictus Episode 2, we see footage from the same evening, but Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are in a small group setting with veterans and at least one widow of a veteran.

Meghan Markle doesn’t pop up again until Heart of Invictus Episode 4, which documents the start of the 2022 Invictus Games in The Hague. We see Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet with their team to discuss how the event will proceed in the wake of the Russian-Ukrainian War. The couple thanks their team for their hard work. Later, there is footage of Markle introducing her husband at the Opening Ceremony of the games.

In Heart of Invictus Episode 5, we get a cute behind-the-scenes look of Prince Harry preparing to give a speech at the Invictus Games. He makes fun of the way his speech is spread over three sheets and struggles with a specific official’s name. Meghan Markle is there in the room and the two chuckle politely over trying to nail it. Later in the episode, the pause Prince Harry makes before nailing the last name gets a laugh from the crowd.

That’s it! Prince Harry mentions his son, Prince Archie of Sussex, in a speech in Episode 1 and we get few glimpses of the couple’s California estate, but it’s nothing like the candid footage we got in Harry & Meghan. And with good reason! Heart of Invictus is all about the work Prince Harry has done with hundreds of others to help give struggling veterans a healing experience through the Invictus Games…

What are The Invictus Games? The Event Featured in Netflix’s Heart of Invictus:

The Invictus Games were first launched in 2014 by Prince Harry and have continued to be held in 2016, 2018, and 2022. Prince Harry was inspired by what he witnessed at the US Warrior Games in 2013 and wanted to replicate the event on a global scale.

As detailed in Heart of Invictus, athletes are chosen by their nations based on who organizers believe would benefit the most from the experience. This means that everyone from amputees to veterans suffering from acute PTSD can participate.

The 2023 Invictus Games will be held in Dusseldorf, Germany from September 9 – 16. There are already plans for a 2025 Invictus Games to be held in Vancouver.

You can visit the official Invictus Games site for more information on how you can support or participate.