Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made an impactful arrival at their first joint appearance at the 2023 Invictus Games on Wednesday after Meghan flew into Germany from California a day earlier.
Meghan joined Harry, who had been at the games since its opening ceremony on September 9 in the German city of Düsseldorf.
Hours after her arrival on Tuesday, Meghan attended an evening reception for veterans competing in this year’s games and their families, where she apologized for missing the start of the tournament. She explained that she was looking after the royal couple’s two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, back home in California.
On Wednesday morning, Harry and Meghan attended their first sports event of the games together, taking in a preliminary wheelchair basketball game.
As the couple made their way to their seats, they delighted fans with an endearing public display of affection or PDA, walking through the Merkur Spiel-Arena hand in hand.
Samir Hussein/WireImage
For the event, Meghan turned to one of her fashion fail-safe suits, wearing a soft tailored jacket and a pair of chic box shorts.
The duchess accessorized her outfit with a pair of tan, flat slingback shoes with a contrasting black toe box; a black and gold leather belt from the French fashion house Givenchy; and her regularly worn gold Cartier “Love” bracelet and gold Cartier “Tank” watch.
Meghan is reportedly styling her own hair and makeup during her Invictus Games visit.
The royal couple’s appearance on Wednesday is by no means the first time they have been spotted holding hands in public. Throughout their seven-year relationship, Harry and Meghan have been demonstratively affectionate toward each other, including during their first official appearance after news broke that they were dating.
The couple used the Invictus Games in 2017 as the backdrop for disclosing their relationship to the press, with Meghan and Harry appearing at a wheelchair tennis match together. Meghan appeared to pay a fashion nod to the significance of that event, wearing a white shirt known as the “husband” model from American label Misha Nonoo.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation
The royal couple’s tendency to hold hands in public has caused them some trouble in the past. In 2022, they were photographed holding hands during the lying-in-state ceremony for Queen Elizabeth II ahead of her state funeral. This brought a backlash, with some commentators and social media users calling the gesture disrespectful.
Fans of the couple were quick to note days later that President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden were photographed holding hands at the state funeral, held at Westminster Abbey on September 19.
Royal PDA moments have become increasingly popular on social media. Posts have focussed on interactions between Harry and Meghan, as well as between Prince William and Kate Middleton, reaching viral numbers.
The Invictus Games event was founded by Harry in 2014 as an international platform for wounded, sick or injured veterans to showcase their mental and physical recovery and strength through sporting endeavors.
The games will run in Germany until Saturday, when both Harry and Meghan are likely to make speeches during the closing ceremony. The next games will be held in Canada in 2025, the first year that winter sports will be included in the roster of events.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek‘s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
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