( CNN ) -- Prince Harry and a trekking team made up of servicemen and women reached the South Pole on Friday , organizers for the Walking With The Wounded charity said . Three teams of seven participants each , representing the United Kingdom , United States and the Commonwealth , which consists of several countries long affiliated with the British Empire , took part in the charity event . Originally , it was a race among the three teams to reach the South Pole , but organizers called off the competitive aspect because it was putting undue strain on the participants . Harry -- himself a member of Britain 's armed forces , having served in Afghanistan and elsewhere -- has had a long association with this charity . In several ways , he 's been preparing for this latest mission for a long time . That includes taking part in a Walking With The Wounded expedition to the North Pole -- even plunging into the Arctic Ocean 's freezing waters -- in 2011 before withdrawing to attend his brother William 's wedding . More recently , he traveled to Iceland for training and even spent 24 hours in an industrial freezer in preparation for the South Pole trek . The teams had to trek more than 200 miles ( 322 kilometers ) across the sparse continent , in temperatures as low as -35 degrees Celsius ( -31 Fahrenheit ) . Opinion : Why we should salute Prince harry for his polar charity walk .
NEW : Prince Charles and a team made up of servicemen and women reach the South Pole . Organizers called off competitive aspect of the 2010 event . The team trekked more than 200 miles .