Chris Martin, the frontman of Coldplay, made a lighthearted reference to his close friend Prince Harry during his speech at the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games on Friday. Addressing the crowd at BC Place in Vancouver, Martin humorously shared how Harry had reached out to him for the event: “When he called me, he said, ‘I’ve asked every other musician in the world. They all said no, so I had to call you,'” he quipped. The audience laughed, and cameras captured Harry and Meghan Markle smiling and shaking their heads in amusement.
Martin also shared a playful nickname for Harry, referring to him as “Your Royal Holiness,” and expressed his admiration for his friend’s leadership. “Thank you, Harry, for being such an inspiring leader and a kind, sweet man,” he said. Martin went on to wish Harry a fantastic Games, adding, “It’s a pleasure to be here.”
The Coldplay frontman performed some of the band’s biggest hits, such as “Viva La Vida” and “Higher Power,” and also sang the Invictus Games anthem, a song he wrote in 2014 inspired by the “Invictus” poem. This anthem has been a key part of the medal ceremonies since the first Invictus Games in London.
The event featured performances from other big names, including Katy Perry, Noah Kahan, Nelly Furtado, and Roxane Bruneau.
