Chris Jackson/Getty Images for InvictusOrlando is typically the home of Disney's most magical creations, but Sunday night, it was the site of a far more royal event.
Prince Harry launched the 2016 Invictus Games Sunday night at Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Started in March 2014, this year marks the second since the royal created the multi-sport event in honor of wounded, injured or sick veteran participants across the globe.
In addition to Harry's involvement, former President George W. Bush serves as this year's Honorary Chair with his wife, former First Lady Laura Bush, also in attendance. Oscar winner Morgan Freeman is also involved in the event this year, serving as an Invictus Games Ambassador.
However, the British hunk could not kick off the international competition in America without enlisting the help of the White House's fitness champion, First Lady Michelle Obama.
"I, of course, want to start by thanking Prince Harry for his outstanding leadership and for bringing the Invictus Games here to Orlando," Obama said in her introductory remarks to the immense crowd. "He is truly our Prince Charming, isn't he? And he should be proud of himself for this work."
That's precisely how the 31-year-old felt Sunday evening surrounded by thousands.
"I cannot tell you how proud and excited I am to open the second Invictus games here in the America," he said aloud to the crowd. "I'm a long way from London tonight. But when I look out and I see so many familiar faces, servicemen and women, their friends and their families and all the people who have got them here - I feel like I'm at home."
Having been deployed to Afghanistan twice himself as a 10-year member of the British Army, Prince Harry witnessed the toll of war on his fellow servicemen firsthand.
"I served alongside soldiers from all over the world. I saw the sacrifices you and your families made to serve your nations. I learned about the importance of teamwork and camaraderie in a way that only military service can teach you," he continued. "When I traveled back from the battlefield on a plane carrying the body of a Danish soldier and three young Brits, fighting for their lives, I began to understand the real, permanent cost of war."
With his influence as a member of the royal family, Harry was compelled to continue serving his comrades off the battlefield.
"What I learned through serving was that the extraordinary privileges of being a Prince gave me an extraordinary opportunity to help my military family," he declared. "That's why I had to create the Invictus Games—to build a platform for all those who have served to prove to the world what they have to offer."
"You will see people who by rights should have died on the battlefield—but instead they are going for gold on the track or in the pool," he revealed. "You will be inspired, you will be moved, and I promise you will be entertained."
Being back at Disney World for this momentous occasion is a full-circle moment for the royal, who visited the amusement parks as a child with his late mother, Princess Diana.
"It was happy memories, you know, and it's a huge shame she's not here," he told Today's Jenna Bush Hager. "I hope she's incredibly proud of what we've managed to achieve."
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