Prince Harry pens letter to Royal Marine who lost three limbs after kneeling on a bomb in Afghanistan and praises his ‘exceptional achievements and services’
- Royal Marine Mark Ormrod lost three limbs in bomb blast in Afghanistan in 2007
- Shared a letter he received from Duke of Sussex praising his ‘achievements’
- First met Prince Harry at armed forces’ rehabilitation centre in Surrey, in 2008
A hero Royal Marine who lost three limbs in a bomb blast in Afghanistan in 2007 has revealed the personal letter he received from Prince Harry praising his ‘exceptional achievements and services.’
Mark Ormrod, who trained with Prince Harry before deploying to Afghanistan, took to Instagram to share a snap of the letter he received in the post.
Dated 2 November, it reads: ‘Dear Mark, The Duchess of Sussex and I were delighted to learn of your incredibly well-deserved honour in recognition of your exceptional achievements and service.’
We send our warmest congratulations and very best wishes.’
Mark Ormrod (pictured), who trained with Prince Harry before deploying to Afghanistan, took to Instagram to share a snap of the letter he received from Prince Harry
The letter (pictured) reads: ‘Dear Mark, The Duchess of Sussex and I were delighted to learn of your incredibly well-deserved honour in recognition of your exceptional achievements and service’
Hero Marine who lost three limbs after kneeling on a bomb in Afghanistan celebrates with the prince after he wins silver at the Invictus Games (pictured)
Alongside a photograph of himself and the letter, the former 40-commando, went on to say how it’s ‘funny how the Universe works sometimes.’
He continued: ‘This morning I went into work like any other day but with a particular awareness that it was Remembrance Day.’
‘I hadn’t expected it to be different to any other day except for attending a Remembrance service but when I got into the office I was greeted with a bottle of whiskey, a Royal Marines beanie hat, a Royal Marine themed calendar & some stickers kindly sent to me by some of the RM Association members,
‘I had a series of great meetings and then was fortunate enough after the remembrance service to have an ad hoc 5 minute speaking slot with 120 of the newest members of the Royal Marines who are now all signed up members of The Royal Marines Association.
Alongside a photograph of himself and the letter, Mark went on to say how it’s ‘funny how the Universe works sometimes’ (pictured)
‘To top it off I also got a really nice congratulatory letter from Buckingham Palace from Prince Harry & Megan. Today was a good day.’
Mark lost an arm and both his legs when he stepped on a mine during a routine foot patrol aged 24.
The marine’s injuries were exacerbated by a Chinese rocket which insurgents had fixed to the explosive device. He was injured on Christmas Eve, 2007.
In 2017, he was praised by Prince Harry after winning a silver medal at the Invictus Games.
He claimed second place for Team UK in the indoor rowing event in Toronto and received a warm handshake from the Duke of Sussex as the royal presented him with his medal.
The Prince has followed Mark’s path to glory having first met him at Headley Court, the armed forces’ rehabilitation centre in Surrey, in 2008.