respecting royalty

Fijian members of the British Army bow before Prince Harry at their match against the Navy at Twickenham

Army beat the Royal Navy at Twickenham to win the Babcock Trophy which was handed to them by Prince Harry

FIJIAN members of the British Army showed Prince Harry the ultimate respect by kneeling down to him at Twickenham as the Army took on the Royal Navy.

He attended the clash in his role as patron of the Invictus Games Foundation, which is the official charity for this year's game.

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Two Fijians bowed to Prince Harry on the fieldCredit: Getty Images

After arriving at the stadium for the 100th edition of the annual match, and after following both teams out of the tunnel on to the pitch.

The 32-year-old could be seen standing to attention and heartily singing along to the national anthem, played by the Royal Marines band.

A special message from Rugby World Cup winner and England ace Jonny Wilkinson was also played ahead of the match.

He said: "I cannot imagine the strength, courage and sacrifice it takes to serve in the armed forces."

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Wilkinson asked those in attendance to applaud those currently serving on operations around the world.

Prince Harry left the field to take his pitch-side seatCredit: AP:Associated Press

Harry, a former Army captain, then met the players from both teams and the referees before taking his pitch-side seat

He sat alongside competitors from the 2014 and 2016 Invictus Games, the Paralympic-style competition for wounded or sick service personnel and veterans.

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As the fixture got under way, Harry could be seen greeting and chatting to the former Invictus athletes, those hoping to be selected for the third games.

Prince Harry belted out the national anthemCredit: Reuters

The military sporting clash is the final and deciding fixture in the Inter Services rugby competition, which also features an RAF team.

At half-time a pitch side interview was carried out by 2014 Invictus Games competitor JJ Chalmers, as well as Toronto hopeful Scott Meenagh.

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Harry told the 81,577-strong crowd, that the game is a fantastic way for the "armed forces to come together".

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Speaking about the growth of the Invictus Games, Harry said "more and more people are coming forward" and taking part, and stressed that "mental fitness is as important as physical fitness".

He added: "What the Invictus Games shows is that no matter who you are, no matter what your background and no matter what your injuries, sport is there and is part of the recovery."

Prince Harry chatted to fans at half-timeCredit: Rex Features
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"Friends and family is so crucial to every single person recovering, that's why days like this and moments like these - we should cherish them."

As the interview came to an end, Harry could be heard turning to the pair and jokingly saying "to the bar?" before heading back to his south stand lower tier seat for the second half.

With the Army beating the Navy 29-20, at the end of the match Harry congratulated all of the players before he presented the Babcock Trophy to the winners.

The Army won the annual match to claim the Babcock TrophyCredit: Getty Images
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