LONDON – Prince Harry and his wife Megan made their first public appearance in Europe on Friday since resigning from official royal roles and moving to the United States more than two years ago to congratulate Invictus Games.
The event came a day after the couple visited Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle on their first joint visit to the United Kingdom since moving to the United States.
The couple’s office says they visited the 95-year-old queen, Harry’s grandmother, on Thursday on their way to the Netherlands to attend the Invictus Games. Harry is the founder and patron of the International Sports Competition for Wounded Soldiers and Veterans.
Harry and Megan received an enthusiastic welcome from the applauding players at the playground in a park in The Hague. The event opens on Saturday and will run until April 22.
Harry and Megan retired as senior working royal members and moved to North America in 2020, citing the unbearable pressure of their roles and the racist attitudes of the British media.
Since then, Harry has made solo trips to the United Kingdom to attend the funeral of his grandfather, Prince Philip, in April 2021 and unveil a statue of his late mother, Princess Diana, last July.
The couple, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, lost their tax-funded police guard when they left, and Harry sued the British government for refusing to allow him to pay for his own police guard during his visits to the UK. Lawyers say Harry wants to bring his children – Archie, who is almost 3 years old, and 10-month-old Lilibet – to visit his home country, but that it is too risky without police protection.
Harry and Megan are expected to attend a reception in The Hague on Friday for the Invictus Games, which run from Saturday to April 22.
The Queen’s visit came on Holy Thursday, the day before Easter, which the Queen had marked for decades with the distribution of silver coins known as “Big Money” to church retirees. This year, the queen, who has been experiencing mobility problems in recent months and fell ill with COVID-19 in February, is not present. She was introduced by her eldest son, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla.
The monarch is also expected to miss the church service of the royal family on Easter. She continued to perform royal duties, including a virtual audience with politicians and diplomats.
Add Comment