Prince Harry dons medals to present Soldier of the Year award

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Prince Harry has put on his medals to film a special presentation at a military award ceremony in America.

The Duke of Sussex paid tribute to his friend Sergeant First Class Elizabeth Marks at the Service Members of the Year Awards on Wednesday, describing her as a “beacon of inspiration” in an enthusiastic speech from his California home.

The swimmer has won four gold medals at the Invictus Games, founded by Harry, and the 33-year-old is also a five-time Paralympic medalist.

Ms Marks, who first joined the army when she was 17 years old, suffered bilateral hip injuries while deployed in Iraq in 2010, according to the Daily Mail.

Speaking via a video message Harry said: “I first met Sergeant First Class Elizabeth Marks at the Invictus Games in Orlando 2016, where I presented her with not one, but four gold medals that she’d won in swimming.

“’To me, she epitomises the courage, resiliance and determination represented across our service community. And this is not just because of her swimming abilities.

‘Ellie has courageously overcome every obstacle to cross her path. She has turned her pain into purpose and led through compassion and willpower, showing others that the impossible is indeed possible.”

Harry, who wore a suit with four medals pinned to his chest, continued: “Despite the injuries she endured during her deployment as a medical assistant in Iraq – along with numerous surgeries and setbacks that would have deterred many – she has persevered tirelessly, becoming the first woman in the Army’s world-class athlete program as well as the first swimmer the program had ever seen.

“She’s also taken her recovery a step further, using her experiences and achievements to inspire and assist others in their mental and physical journey into sport, ensuring those who can’t see a way out or through are introduced to the medicine of sport that saved her too.”

Prince Harry donned his Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan, which he earned in 2008 for his service in Helmand Province.

He also wore his Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, which was awarded in 2002 to everyone who had been in active service for five years, and his Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, which was given to members of the emergency services, Armed Forces, prison service, and the royal household in 2012.

Finally, he wore his Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal – despite giving up his honorary military titles in 2020.

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle moved to California in June 2020, as they wanted space to raise their son, Archie.

The couple now live in Montecito with Archie, four, and daughter Lillibet, two.

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