Meghan Markle Reveals Why She Arrived “A Little Late to the Party” to Prince Harry’s Invictus Games in Dusseldorf

Meghan Markle at the 2023 Invictus Games

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 12 September 2023

Not only is Meghan Markle in Dusseldorf, Germany—home of the sixth iteration of the Invictus Games, founded by her husband, Prince Harry—but, just a few hours after her arrival, she took the stage to give a joint speech alongside Harry, per The Mirror. The joint speech—a rarity for the couple—honed in on the importance of “coming together,” the outlet reports.

The pair spoke in front of about 1,600 Invictus Games competitors and their families and friends, and Meghan spoke without notes and thanked all of the attendees for their support. Wearing a Banana Republic dress and a Bottega Veneta belt, The Mirror reports she “styled her own hair and did her own makeup for the event.”

Meghan said it was very “special” to be in Germany with them, adding “I’m really, really proud to be part of this Invictus family with all of you. I’m grateful for all of you that are here.” Harry too thanked those who are taking part in the Games—after applauding his wife, he said “First, to the friends and family that are here, I understand that a lot of the competitors are hopefully sleeping after a very long day. But this is your chance to connect with each other, because everyone here is in a different phase of their healing process, whether as an individual or as a family. The fact of the matter is, everybody in this room has some form of a shared experience, so use this moment to connect with each other. Swap photos, swap numbers.”

The “relaxed and informal” private reception with Invictus Games competitors and their family and friends was also attended by the mayor of Dusseldorf and included music, entertainment, and traditional German food, The Mirror reports.

Meghan—who said in her speech “I’m sorry that I was a little late to the party,” referencing her arrival on day four of the Games—said of her reason for not being there from the beginning “I just had to spend a little more time getting our little ones settled at home, putting milkshakes for their school drop-off, and then I just landed a couple hours ago and I am thrilled that the first event that I can do for Invictus is here with all of you. It is amazing and I hear the week so far has gotten off to a good start, is that right?”

She added that she and Harry “can’t wait to one day be able to bring our kids along also so they can experience just how amazing this is.”

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Meghan Markle

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.

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