Meghan Markle puts on a loved-up display with her husband Prince at tonight’s Invictus Games opening ceremony.
The nine-day sporting event – created by Prince Harry in 2014 for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women – will see more than 500 competitors from 23 countries come together.
Tonight as the UK’s team – all veterans and serving personnel who sustained life-changing injuries and illnesses- entered the stadium a giant screen cut to a shot of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex smiling and waving.
Meghan, who wrapped up in a long cream trench coat as she fashionably battled against Canada’s frosty temperatures leaned against her husband, tentatively placing her hand on his arm.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, leaped to the air with glee as the ceremony ensued – and at one point whipped out her phone to capture the energetic atmosphere in the stadium.
They sat in front of one of the leaders of the indigenous people on whose land the games are being held in Vancouver and Whistler.
This years games, which to celebrity service men and women who put their lives on the line for their nations, will include winter sports for the first time ever.
Meghan Markle puts on a loved-up display with her husband Prince at tonight’s Invictus Games opening ceremony
Meghan wrapped up in a long cream trenchcoat as she fashionably battled against Canada’s frosty temperatures
She tentatively placing her hand on Harry’s arm and at one point attempted to capture the energy of the stadium on camera
They sat in front of one of the leaders of the indigenous people on whose land the games are being held in Vancouver and Whistler
The games have previously been held in London in 2014, in Orlando in 2016, Toronto in 2017, Sydney in 2018, The Hague in 2022 and Dusseldorf in 2023.
Ahead of the Invictus games this morning, the charismatic Prince showed off his skills on the dancefloor as he and Meghan Markle ahead of this year’s Invictus Games.
The Duke of Sussex showed off his dancing skills as he met members of the Canadian team taking part in the Invictus Games.
He also hugged a female competitor as he and Meghan had a breakfast meeting ahead of the opening ceremony.
The couple were warmly greeted by the Canadian team with Meghan posting video of the encounter to her Instagram story – complete with Harry seemingly attempting to do the ‘twist’.
Harry and Meghan couldn’t resist handing out hugs as they spent time hearing about how many of the competitors have overcome adversity to make the games.
The Duchess of Sussex is set to join her husband, the Duke of Sussex, at the Invictus Games in Canada.
Meghan’s attendance is understood to underscore her support for her husband and the mission of Invictus, a cause that is deeply personal to them both.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle enter the ceremony to an outburst of cheers from the crowd
Members of Team UK arrive at the opening ceremony of the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver
British athletes take part in the parade during the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games
Ukrainian athletes take part in the parade during the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games
French athletes take part in the parade during the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games
Ahead of the games, Harry showed off his skills on the dancefloor as he and Meghan Markle are set to kick off this year’s Invictus Games
The Duke of Sussex showed off his dancing skills as he met members of the Canadian team taking part in the Invictus Games
Meghan hugs a woman as she and Prince Harry meet with competitors ahead of the games
Prince Harry, pictured with his wife Meghan in Whistler last year, are remembered fondly by the Canadian public after the couple moved to Vancouver Island in 2020
Her sole focus during these games will be to uplift her husband, the competitors and sharing their stories.
The couple famously appeared in public together for the first time at the Toronto Invictus Games in 2017, pictured hand-in-hand at a wheelchair tennis event.
In 2023, Meghan and Harry cheered on athletes among the crowds at the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were sitting side-by-side clapping and also reacting to the game tensely as they watched the wheelchair basketball with Australia supporters.
While Meghan is understood to have several projects on the horizon, her family remains her top priority and she is determined to continue to stand together with Harry to support the causes they care about.
The couple visited Colombia for a four-day tour last August, with the trip focusing on tackling cyber-bullying and online digital violence as well as promoting women’s leadership.
They also embarked on a three-day visit to Nigeria earlier in 2024 at the invitation of the West African nation’s chief of defense staff.
Meghan Markle has been spotted adoringly watching her husband Prince Harry as he opened the seventh edition of the Invictus Games
This will be the seventh edition of the games, established by Harry in 2014, and will begin in the city today, bringing together more than 500 competitors from 23 nations. It is also the first time the games will include winter sports
British veterans and serving personnel who were injured during service departed for Canada earlier this week for the games.
The 62 competitors – all veterans and serving personnel who sustained life-changing injuries and illnesses while serving in the UK Armed Forces – left the country from Birmingham Airport on Thursday.
The games aim to ‘inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for those who have served their country’, the Royal British Legion said.
Ahead of the highly anticipated sporting event, Meghan gave an impromptu speech at a private event for the Games where she divulged she felt ‘at home’ in Canada.
After giving her husband an smooch on stage, the Duchess of Sussex began to shower her husband with praise for his dedication to the event.
Highlighting the sporting event’s importance of the event, Meghan told military veterans and their families that they were her husband’s ‘family’.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved to Vancouver Island in 2020 after quitting the royal family in what became known as ‘Megxit’.
Prince Harry was all smiles as he arrived at his five-star hotel for the start of the Invictus Games
The couple flew in on a private charter jet from Santa Barbara airport near their home in Montecito, California , arriving just after 5:30pm
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be enjoying ‘rock star’ status during their stay in Vancouver after booking a £5,000 a night suite that comes with its own private elevator and rooftop patio. Pictured: the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel
Meghan, 43, also lived in Toronto for several years where the Netfix series ‘Suits’ was filmed and famously made their first appearance together as a couple at the 2017 Invictus Games held in the city.
She said: ‘I was not planning on speaking tonight, and we just arrived, I don’t know, a couple of hours ago, and I touched Canadian soil and I went, oh, it feels like home.’
Turning to Harry she continued: ‘We are just thrilled to be here, and I would be remiss if I didn’t take the opportunity to introduce someone who means a lot to me. And I know he means quite a lot to all of you. You will see him throughout this week.
‘You will see him at the Games. You will see him probably curling with you, cheering you on.’
