HARRY LAUNCHES INVICTUS GAMES
TORONTO: Prince Harry launched the third Invictus Games on Saturday for disabled or wounded soldiers and veterans as he made his first public appearance with his girlfriend, Meghan Markle.
Wearing a brown leather jacket over her shoulders, the American actress was seated a few rows behind the British royal who took his place at the opening ceremony alongside United States First Lady Melania Trump.
“The Invictus Games are a unique and powerful way to honour those who have sacrificed so much on behalf of their country,” said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Harry and Melania spoke for a few minutes, posing for photographs before the prince headed to present the medals to the winners of the games at the driving challenge competition.
The prince, dressed in a blue blazer and beige pants, spent some time with athletes following a tour of Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, which his late mother Diana visited 26 years ago.
He met hospital staff and young patients before greeting fans and posing for pictures outside.
Fans and the press have been eagerly awaiting the first official public appearance of the prince and Markle since the Suits actress, 36, told Vanity Fair the couple were “in love” in an interview published early this month.
According to his schedule, Queen Elizabeth II’s grandson plans to stay at Markle’s Toronto home for the entire eight days of the games. AFP