Meghan Markle shows off her Hollywood smile as she puts on a tentative and loved-up display with her husband Prince Harry at the star-studded Invictus Games opening ceremony tonight, DailyMail reports.
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.
It comes shortly after US President Donald Trump took a swipe at Meghan Markle branding her ‘terrible’ as he announced he had no plans to deport Prince Harry from the US amid a legal battle over his immigration status.
‘I don’t want to do that,’ Trump said on Friday. ‘I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible,’ he told the New York Post.
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 Markle 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 on 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 of the leaders of the indigenous people on whose land the games are being held in Vancouver and Whistler.
Her sole focus during these games will be to uplift her husband, the competitors and sharing their stories.
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.
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.
The opening ceremony began with a parade of nations taking part in the week long event.
Germany, who hosted the 2023 games in Dusseldorf were first to enter the BC Place arena.
Two competitors from Team Afghan were given a huge cheer, but the loudest noise was reserved for the host nation Canada.
Giant inflatables of a whale and dolphin hovered above the military veterans from the ceiling of the stadium with the sea creatures signifying Vancouver’s links to the Pacific Ocean.
A star-studded line-up have graced the Invictus stage tonight, including the likes of Nelly Furtado and Chris Martin.
Coldplay’s Chris Martin performed the Invictus Anthem accompanied by choir and military band.
Two back up singers where dressed in all black as he stood in the centre of podium to sing the anthem he had been asked to write by Prince Harry in 2014.
Martin joked to the crowd that it was so cold inside the stadium that it was ‘like playing a concert in a ‘frozen food section’, and went on to sing Coldplay’s hit ‘Higher Power.
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 Coldplay frontman brought the crowd to their feet with one of Coldplay’s biggest hits, Viva La Vida.
Nelly Furtado, who has sold more than 45million records and is one of Canada’s most sucessful Canada also took to the stage in an all-black ensemble, starting with one of her most famous hits, I’m Like A Bird.
She was joined onstage by Indigenous blind music producer and recording artist Mattmac. The rapper has had more than 30 million streams across all platforms.
He joked that Prince Harry had tried to get many other performers to write the Invictus anthem – and he was his last resort.
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.
Meghan has never shied away from showing her support for her home country. At the Dusseldorf games in 2023 she was happy to drape herself in the Stars and Stripes flag.
Aides said the couple were able to hear the stories of courage and resilience from competitors taking part in the seventh Invictus Games.
US Military and Government officials were also at the meeting – but its unlikely President Donald Trump’s less than complimentary remarks about Meghan were raised.
The meeting with Team Canada was organised by the True Patriot Love organisation who are one of the sponsors of the Vancouver Games.
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 Markle 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 Markle 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.
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’.
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.’