Prince Harry confirms Jon Bon Jovi will record Invictus Games song with jokey text exchange

Prince Harry has made an exciting announcement on his Instagram as the date for him to step back from his royal duties draws closer.

The royal has confirmed rock legend Jon Bon Jovi will record the Invictus Games song at the Abbey Road Studios in London on 28 February, and the prince will drop by too.

A spokesman for Prince Harry marked the date in the diary when confirming that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will carry out their final royal duties before 31 March.

And sharing the excitement on Instagram, the Sussexes posted an imagined text conversation between Prince Harry and Jon Bon Jovi.

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It opens with Bon Jovi texting the royal: “Hey Harry, how’s it going?”

The royal replies: “I’m good! Just livin’ on a prayer...”

Then the rock star mentions he will be in London on 28 February and “has an idea”, using #Invictus.

Prince Harry asks if he will be joined by the band, to which Bon Jovi says: “I’ve got some back-up which I think will work.”

In a second reference to one of Bon Jovi’s best loved songs, Harry jokes: “Ha! Don’t expect me to sing... BUT I’ll give it a shot.”

Prince Harry will be at the recording session with Bon Jovi in London on 28 February, where the singer and the Invictus Games choir will record a version of Unbroken.

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Bon Jovi wrote the song in honour of veterans living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and is a supporter of the military as both his parents were in the US Marine Corps.

The post is the first we have heard from the royals on social media since it was confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will lose their HRH titles from 1 April.

They will be able to make their own money as they seek financial independence, and won’t undertake any more royal duties.

But they will keep their royal patronages, and a spokesman said both of them will continue to support their various passions as they have before.

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Harry’s priorities remain supporting the welfare of servicemen and women, conservation, sport for social development, HIV and Travalyst which works to mobilise the tourism and travel industry for social good.

For Meghan her focus remains women’s empowerment, gender equality and education.

The Invictus Games was started by Prince Harry for wounded servicemen and women and he has regularly attended the subsequent games.

This year, they will be held in The Hague, in the Netherlands, and both Harry and Meghan are planning to attend.

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Before then, they will also be around the UK, attending events like the Commonwealth Day Service and the Mountbatten Festival of Music.

Meghan will be back in time for an event held by Edward Enninful, the editor of British Vogue, which has been inspired by her Forces for Change issue of the magazine, but she is unlikely to be attending as it clashes with another event.

Prince Harry and Meghan first announced their plans to “carve out a new path” in January, sparking something of a royal crisis and what became known as the Sandringham summit. Senior royals thrashed out details of how they could work at the Queen’s Norfolk estate.

They will lose their Buckingham Palace office from 31 March and are likely to spend most of their time in North America.