Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Face Fun New Rivalry at the Invictus Games This Year
Cute.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are united in their relationship, but when it comes to picking teams in sporting competitions, things may be getting a little hairy.
To mark the Invictus Games 2023 opening ceremony in Düsseldorf, Germany this past weekend, the Duke of Sussex gave a moving speech about what the Games mean to him and to the injured or sick servicemen and women who participate in them.
Of course, as part of the speech, Harry made sure to inject a little humor and fun into the whole thing.
As the Games welcome new nations' teams this year—including Colombia, Israel and Nigeria—the duke opened up about what this might mean for his and Meghan's allegiances.
He joked, "Now, I'm not saying we play favorites in our home, but since my wife discovered she's of Nigerian descent, it's likely to get a little bit more competitive this year" (via People).
The duchess revealed in an episode of her podcast Archetypes last year that she recently found out she's 43% Nigerian from a genealogy test.
This inter-marital sporting rivalry is reminiscent of Prince William and Princess Kate's, who support rivals Wales and England in the rugby respectively.
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Elsewhere in the speech, Harry spoke from the heart about what it means to serve one's nation in the armed forces, and how the Invictus Games aim to remind competitors of that sense of challenge, community, and working for the higher good.
He said the aim of the Games is to "make space for what's deserved."
He added, "Space for your worthiness. Space to thrive. Space for the truest form of respect. Claim this experience. Claim this moment because all of this, all of us, are here because of you. This isn't a gift, this isn't a handout, this is yours. You've got to take it."
Meghan is set to join Harry in Germany, though she has yet to make a public appearance. It's unclear when the duchess will fly into the country, but we do know she will be there to support her husband at the closing ceremony on Sept. 19, per the Mirror.
Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.