Prince Harry makes surprising admission about his biggest inspiration during school visit

Harry threw himself into several rallies, diving for low shots and jokingly complaining about his aching back afterwards. He shouted "nice" when one young opponent claimed a point against him.

The visit to the host city of the 2027 Invictus Games came less than a day after he hosted the inaugural Spirit Invictus Awards on Thursday evening.

Before entering a classroom, one pupil prompted laughter by asking "Who is Prince Harry?" A classmate swiftly responded: "He's the King's son."

Addressing roughly 200 pupils gathered in the school's assembly hall, the duke was asked to name someone who inspired him. His answer surprised some.

"It's not a single person, it's a whole group of people," he told them. "And it's not always the people you probably think it is."

Gesturing towards the Invictus Games competitors who had accompanied him, he continued: "It's these guys. This Invictus community of people who get knocked down but keep getting back up. The people who support them in that process."

Addressing roughly 200 pupils gathered in the school's assembly hall, the duke was asked to name someone who inspired him. His answer surprised some

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He added: "Being involved in this community for the last 12 years, they are the ones that inspire me every single day. And I get my annual fix by being around them."

The evening before his school visit, Harry had opened up to Hello magazine about how life had been since the Sussex family's relocation to Britain.

"My highlight so far? Oh, I don't know. Would I dare share it with you?" he said. "The last two weeks have been... it's been eventful."

He struck a more earnest note moments later, adding: "We're getting stuck into the work. Kids are in school. We're happy."

Wearing a dark polo shirt and jeans, the 42-year-old appeared thoroughly at ease as he took to the pickleball court with pupils from Years 7 and 11

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Harry was evidently left impressed by some of the sporting prowess on show

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The duke expressed particular delight at having his family alongside him for the next chapter of his Invictus work on home soil, declaring: "It's wonderful to be back on British soil and really nice to see so many old faces and friends."

His remarks came after Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, were moved to a different school just two days into term owing to security concerns.

The Sussex family's return to Britain has been fraught with complications since it was first revealed on August 19, just three days after the King is understood to have been told of their plans - despite meeting with the family merely weeks prior.

The couple arrived at Birmingham airport on August 26 without police close protection, relying instead on their own private security team.

Tensions escalated on September 7 when the King issued a statement confirming the Sussexes would be regarded as "private citizens," timed to coincide with a Home Office meeting to review their security arrangements.

In response, Uganda withdrew from the Invictus Games, citing the absence of the monarch's "approval," with sources close to the Sussexes attributing the decision directly to the King's intervention.

The row was partially resolved on September 14 after the King's most senior aide, Sir Clive Alderton, held talks with Ugandan officials, who agreed to reconsider their withdrawal.

These public engagements have also unfolded against a particularly turbulent backdrop for the Royal Family. Earl Spencer, Harry's uncle, continued to make explosive claims in serialised extracts from his memoir about Diana, Princess of Wales.

In a BBC interview published on Friday evening, the Earl maintained he was "telling the truth" about an allegation that the then Prince of Wales said "we'll forget her soon enough" in the days following Diana's death.

Buckingham Palace responded in what was described as an "unprecedented" fashion, stating that "the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason".