Prince Harry is back on his side of the pond.

Just one week after the 41-year-old reunited with his father King Charles III after a year apart, Harry made a surprise appearance at the TIME 100 Most Influential People in Sports event on July 16.

For the occasion, the royal family member wore a simple yet elegant black suit which he paired with a white button-down shirt he left open at the collar. But while Harry’s children with Meghan Markle, 7-year-old Archie and 5-year-old Lilibet, were by his side in England, he attended the TIME event alone.

During the evening in New York City—which honored the titans of sports—Harry reportedly told the photographers at the red carpet they were the “most polite” he’d come across in his many years in the spotlight, per People.

And while Harry wasn’t one of the professional athletes celebrated by TIME, the outlet did honor him for his work with the Invictus Games, the biennial sports competition he established for wounded service members and other veterans.

For Harry, his connection to sport is deeply personal.