Prince Harry praises photographers during first public appearance since UK trip despite ongoing media feud

Prince Harry dished out a gushing compliment to photographers during his first public appearance since his UK trip yesterday, despite his ongoing feud with the media.

The Duke of Sussex made his unexpected arrival at Thursday evening's Time100 Sports Gala in New York City, where he earned a place among Time's 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026.

The 41-year-old was recognised in the leaders category for the Invictus Games, the international competition for wounded and sick military personnel that the prince founded.

Upon arriving at the red carpet, Harry paused for pictures as photographers called for his attention. One addressed him as "Mr Duke of Sussex, sir".

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The Duke responded with notable warmth, telling the assembled press pack: "You are the most polite set of photographers I've ever met in my life."

He then offered a thumbs-up before proceeding into the venue.

The duke's warm exchange with photographers stands in stark contrast to his well-documented troubled history with the press.

His mother, Princess Diana, died in a Paris car crash in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi. She was 36 years old.

Harry recounted to the BBC harrowing memories of photographers hounding the then-Princess of Wales, saying that "one of the hardest things to come to terms with" was that those who "chased her into the tunnel were the same people that were taking photographs of her while she was still dying on the back seat of the car."

The duke has also waged legal battles against British publishers over alleged unlawful information gathering.

Earlier this month, in a court battle he ultimately lost in a damaging and costly blow during his UK trip, a judge dismissed charges brought by Harry and six other prominent claimants against Associated Newspapers Limited.

Mr Justice Nicklin ruled that the claimants had failed to demonstrate the articles in question resulted from unlawful information gathering.

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Harry and fellow claimant Baroness Doreen Lawrence issued a joint statement describing the outcome as "a complete and obvious whitewash."

But he did not let the crushing court defeat dampen his spirits for the Invictus Games' countdown ceremony later in his trip, and yesterday, during his address at the gala, he described the transformative power of athletics with striking conviction.

"Sport isn't just entertainment and competition. Sport is medicine," he declared.

He added: "Around Invictus, we call it 'service after service' because our service to others never ends."

He reflected on sport's lasting impact, noting: "And in the end, that is the ultimate power of sport. It brings us back to ourselves. And long after the medals are won and the records are broken and the crowds have gone home, what remains isn't the scoreboard. It's the person sport helped us become."

Harry also revealed how athletics proved essential during his formative years.

"Sport held me together," he told Time. "I was one of those kids at school who did not enjoy classroom work."

The duke acknowledged that without access to sporting activities, he would not have remained in education.

His recognition at Thursday's gala placed him alongside distinguished sporting figures, including basketball legend LeBron James and skiing champion Lindsey Vonn in the leaders category.

The Invictus Games, which Harry established for armed forces service personnel and veterans worldwide, will next be staged in Birmingham.

The 2027 edition is expected to welcome approximately 550 competitors representing around 25 nations.

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