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It’s official: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, will join her husband, Prince Harry, in the Netherlands for the Invictus Games.
The trip will be her first outside the US since stepping back from the British royal family more than two years ago.
The California-based couple are expected to arrive in The Hague on Friday in time for the opening ceremony on Saturday 16 April.
They'll be joined by a film crew who'll follow them around for the duration of the international event, which sees wounded and sick servicemen and -women competing in various sports, for an upcoming Netflix documentary.
The Sussexes signed a multimillion-dollar deal with the streaming giant in 2020 to produce projects about causes they're passionate about.
The duchess might also join her hubby on stage for the opening ceremony, according to a source. “Meghan is excited to travel with Harry for the event, which is certainly close to his heart.”
Harry launched the games in 2014 after attending the Warrior Games, a competition for wounded servicemen in the US. “He saw how the power of sport could help physically, psychologically and socially,” the Invictus Games’ website states.
With mental health being so important to him, Harry announced this week that BetterUp – the leadership-coaching platform where he serves as chief impact officer – will be the official mental-fitness coaching tool of the Invictus Games Foundation.
The San Francisco-based company, which the prince joined last year, will offer participants one-on-one coaching and personalised assessments.
In a media release, Harry said, “At its heart, the Invictus Games is about empowering every single person around the world. It’s a worldwide display of resilience, determination and community for which each of us can draw inspiration. I couldn’t think of a better new partner for the Invictus Games Foundation than the mental-fitness platform BetterUp.
“The men and women I served with understand this, the Invictus community knows this, and now the world is beginning to see it too.”
British Army veteran Daniel O'Connor (31), who will compete in archery and indoor rowing at the games, praised Harry’s efforts, saying he's “someone who cares a lot”.
“He has in his mind the things he wants to achieve in his life, the things he’d like to see change, and he tries to work towards them.”
Meanwhile, the event also has sentimental value to Harry (37) and Meghan (40) as it was where they made their first official public appearance together.
The couple made headlines when they were spotted holding hands and sitting together at the Toronto Invictus Games in September 2017. They announced their engagement two months later.
It’s believed they won't be joined by their children, Archie (2) and Lilibet (10 months), and visiting the UK isn't on the cards.
Harry has refused to set foot back on British soil over security concerns. He’s brought a claim against the UK Home Office after being told he'd no longer be given the same degree of elite personal-protective security he had previously as a working member of the royal family, despite offering to pay for it himself.
It was reportedly the reason he didn't attend the recent memorial service for his late grandfather Prince Philip in Westminster Abbey, London.
Speaking about the likely security arrangements in The Hague, former British protection officer Dai Davies said, “I have no doubt he'll be protected, whether he takes his own team or whether the Dutch authorities give him some kind of VIP status."
Asked if he thinks the Dutch police will be involved in providing security for the couple, Davies said it depended on the risk assessment.
SOURCES: WOMANANDHOME.COM, DAILYMAIL.CO.UK, VANITYFAIR.COM, STANDARD.CO.UK
