How Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Honored Queen Elizabeth II At A Hockey Game In Canada

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were recently seen enjoying a game night out. The two were spotted in attendance during a match-up between Vancouver Canucks vs San Jose Sharks in Canada on Monday night.

Harry also made the first puck drop before going on to watch the game with his wife from their box seats. Coincidentally, the country would also be the next to host Harry's Invictus Games in 2025.

According to People magazine, Meghan and Harry enjoyed a night out in Canada on Monday as they were one of the many fans who came to watch the Vancouver Canucks vs San Jose Sharks hockey game.

The duo, who were dressed casually in long coats for the outing, watched the game from their box seats. Before the start of the game, Harry also took to the ice to make the ceremonial first puck drop, reliving the same experience his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, had when she made a ceremonial puck drop during a game between the same rivals 21 years ago.

The appearance also comes six years after he and his wife appeared publicly as a couple at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada. The duo also returned to the country in 2019 after the birth of their son Prince Archie for a holiday at Vancouver Island.

According to reports, Canada is also set to host the next Invictus Games, Prince Harry's international sports tournament for wounded, injured, and sick service personnel and veterans.

Established in 2014, the Invictus Games were first held in London, followed by Orlando, Toronto, and Sydney, with the most recent edition in the Netherlands and Germany. In 2025, Canada will host the event for the second time, this time in Vancouver-Whistler.

The upcoming tournament will also mark a significant development as it introduces winter adaptive sports alongside the familiar core sports featured in previous editions.

Prince Harry made an announcement about the plans, saying, "As Invictus continues to adapt and evolve, I am extremely excited to announce that the Invictus Games Foundation has selected Canada to host the first-ever Winter Hybrid Games in 2025."

He added that the edition will "offer a global platform to expand the range and profile of winter adaptive sports" and will be held in "partnership with the First Nations."

Ahead of the next edition, a major shakeup occurred in the Invictus Games Foundation, the organization in charge of the tournament.

CEO Peter Lawless and Chief Commercial Officer Bill Cooper were reported to be among those leaving the organization, with Nick Booth appointed interim CEO, per BIV.

Via a statement, the organization confirmed the changes and thanked Lawless and Cooper for their efforts in facilitating the return of the games to Canada. It was also mentioned that Booth has been "advising the team since the award of the bid for the 2025 Games."

They noted that the "transition allowed for a continuity of vision and no disruption to the team working to deliver the Games." They also announced that Lawless will continue in an ambassadorial role for the Vancouver Whistler 2025 Games and will maintain a new status as emeritus CEO.

Following the announcement about the changes, speculations circulated that the Invictus Games Foundation was still facing budgetary issues despite assurances of financial support from the Canadian government.

"I'm told we are well over budget and no plan to close the gap even after securing $ 30 million in government support from the Province of British Columbia and the Canadian Federal government," a source said, per the Daily Mail.

"As you can expect, the morale among the staff and volunteers is at an all-time low," the source continued, adding that the departure of the two top staff alongside the budgetary issues might "overshadow this incredible event for veterans."

Meanwhile, the organizers have since refuted the rumors of budgetary issues, informing BIV that they were on "track to meet its fundraising targets, thanks to a dedicated network of senior volunteers and our government partners."