Prince Harry recently offered his congratulations to a British couple who became engaged after a competitor proposed to his girlfriend during the Invictus Games.
Hello! Magazine reports that James Cairns, a competitor representing Great Britain in wheelchair basketball, proposed to his girlfriend of four years, Hannah Wild after a game. Wild, who shares a son with Cairns, said that her answer to the proposal was always going to be "yes." However, she was a bit surprised when she realized James was going to pop the question on such a big stage.
"It was a yes straight away in my head but I kept thinking, 'What are you doing? Why are you doing this to me in front of all these people?' Hannah explained to Hello! Magazine. "But it was a proud moment, and it's the best place that James could have done it because it means so much to him."
A perfect example of why the Invictus Games exist
Hannah knew James' proposal meant the world to him because of how much he dedicated to becoming a competitor at the 2025 Invictus Games.
According to Hello! Magazine, James' journey as a disabled athlete began after he was shot in the leg by a sniper rifle in 2011. He tried to rehabilitate the injuries caused by the incident for two years before his doctors recommended that he amputate the limb that was harmed.
After his amputation, James had to re-learn all the basics and learn how to live happily in his new normal.
"It's been a long road to recovery but I've had my family supporting me, my brother and my aunt, and my grandma who has passed away now," James told Hello! Magazine. Cairns said that he's also received support from the Royal British Legion, the same military service he joined in 2008.
During the same interview with Hello! Magazine, James also said, "Invictus has been my driving force because I've been struggling with my mental health. This past year [has] been a big toll on me but it was Hannah that pushed me and gave me the driving force to apply for the Invictus Games, and now we're here in Canada."
In a Hello! Magazine exclusive congratulating James and Hannah, Prince Harry said, "At Invictus, we provide a space for healing, outstanding athleticism, and, in James and his new fiancée’s case, even if you don’t leave with a medal, you could leave with a ring!"
Apparently, the ring in question is a true beauty, as James sent it to Hannah's mother for approval before he did the honors.