Prince Harry wore his military medals for a video filmed in his Montecito mansion to present a Soldier of the Year award to a US combat medic.
In a "special presentation" of the award, the Duke of Sussex paid tribute to his "friend" Sergeant First Class Elizabeth Marks, whom he described as a "beacon of inspiration". The four-time Invictus Games gold medalist and five-time Paralympic medalist, 33, suffered bilateral hip injuries while deployed in Iraq in 2010, after joining aged just 17.
Speaking on video, the duke told the crowd: "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 epitomizes the courage, resilience 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.
"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."
Harry proudly wore 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.
The father-of-two additionally wore his Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal, despite having given up his honorary military titles in 2020.