Mystery surrounding Meghan Markle’s role as the Duchess of Sussex at Invictus Games disappears from the media schedule
Mystery surrounding Meghan Markle’s role as the Duchess of Sussex at the Invictus Games is disappearing from the media schedule, despite reports that she would “take the stage” at the closing ceremony in Dusseldorf
It’s a mystery what role, if any, the Duchess of Sussex will play in her husband’s upcoming Invictus Games now that she’s disappeared from the media programme.
The official guide to the Germany games, which begin this weekend, suggested Meghan would “take the stage” for the closing ceremony to moderate a section on the participants.
However, a separate listing on the site makes no mention of the Duchess’ role. The “detailed schedule” suggests host Hadnet Tesfai will replace her.
The now-deleted passage said the Duchess would “take the stage to provide an intimate and moving glimpse into the extraordinary journeys of the Invictus Games participants.” Sources last night claimed the information had been uploaded in error.
Prince Harry, 38, who created the Paralympic competition for injured service members and veterans, will deliver a welcome speech at the opening ceremony this Saturday in Dusseldorf.
Meghan, 42, who has children Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two, with Harry, will join him at the eight-day event later in the week.
It’s a mystery what role, if any, the Duchess of Sussex will play in her husband’s upcoming Invictus Games
Prince Harry and Meghan attended the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games in Sydney last year
The Duchess made only brief appearances in Harry’s five-part documentary Heart of Invictus, which was filmed during the games in The Hague last year and released on Netflix last month.
Last year, Meghan took the stage to pay tribute to attendees and their families before introducing her husband. The Duchess later made a surprise solo visit to a charity that supports girls and non-binary children.
Harry’s arrival at Düsseldorf City Hall on Saturday coincides with a demonstration by activists, confirmed by a police spokesman, who claim the German military will use the competition to target students and recruit them into the armed forces.
Organizer Lukas Baumer told the Rheinische Post that the Invictus Games contributes to the “continuous normalization of war” and is “a major publicity tour for the Bundeswehr” – the Bundeswehr, which hosts the competition together with the city of Düsseldorf.
A spokesman for the Invictus Games said that one of their “aims was to stimulate social discourse on the issues of the military and foreign missions” and emphasized that “there was never any element of recruitment for the Bundeswehr”.
The couple share a laugh while watching a wheelchair tennis match in 2022
Meghan Markle appears on the yellow carpet ahead of the 2022 Invictus Games