PRINCE Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle have met Invictus Games athletes who are vying for a spot in the international sporting event in Sydney in October.

The pair visited the University of Bath’s sports training village in rural England to meet British athletes taking part in team trials.

The 33-year-old prince is the founder and patron of the Invictus Games, which is the world’s only global sporting event exclusively for wounded, injured and sick armed forces veterans.

Kensington Palace said the games used the “power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect of all those who serve the country.’’

A war veteran who did two tours of Afghanistan, Prince Harry strongly supports returned veterans, and has raised many millions of dollars to help struggling soldiers.

Sydney’s games, to be held from October 18 to 29, will be the fourth such event after London, Orlando and Toronto.

Prince Harry and Ms Markle made their first public appearance together as a couple during the Toronto games last year.

Ms Markle, an American actor, was living in the Canadian city at the time, filming the TV series Suits.

The pair are expected to visit Sydney for the games in October, giving Australians their first chance to see the royal couple, who will be married at St George’s Chapel at Windsor on May 19.

Last night’s event at Bath saw 400 wounded, injured or ill veterans competing for one of 72 places on the British team.

Prince Harry and Ms Markle spent time chatting to injured veterans including one athlete who had lost an arm and both his lower legs.

The event was run by the charity Help for Heroes, which Prince Harry works closely with, the Ministry for Defence, the Royal British Legion and the Endeavour Fund.

Prince Harry attends the trials every year at the Bath sports village, and the British media estimated the crowd was four times larger this year due to Ms Markle’s appearance.

Ms Markle was wearing a Babaton for Aritzia jacket, and jeans by Mother Denim. She has recently spent time in Los Angeles where she visited her mother, Doria Ragland, during the Easter break.

Royal contributor Omid Scobie recently told Good Morning America: “[Meghan was] equipped with sketches from the wedding and of the dress itself, so she could really give her mom some insight on how the big day will look.”

Ms Markle and Prince Harry were absent when Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended an Easter Sunday church service in Windsor Castle.

At the time, Kensington Palace said she and Prince Harry had chosen to spend the weekend in “private”.