Meghan Markle is making a rare trip to Europe next month to join husband Prince Harry in Düsseldorf, Germany, at the 2023 Invictus Games.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are delighted to attend the Invictus Games 2023 in Düsseldorf,” a spokesperson for the pair said in a Thursday, August 24, statement shared with Us Weekly.
The statement continued: “The Duke will be in attendance throughout the entirety of the games and will be joined by The Duchess shortly after the games begin.”
Harry, 38, founded the Invictus Games — an international event for wounded, injured and sick service members — in 2014. The inspiration came from his 2013 visit to the Warrior Games in the United States.
While promoting the Invictus Games during a March 2016 appearance on Good Morning America, Harry said: “No one wants sympathy. All they want is an opportunity to prove themselves and that’s what this is all about.”
The duke, who served in the British Army from 2005 to 2015, also called his military career “the best escape that I’ve ever had” and said that he “felt as though I was part of a team” during his years in the service. He did two tours in Afghanistan and left the Army as a captain.
Before this year’s Invictus Games, which begin on September 9, Harry plans to return to the U.K. to attend the WellChild Awards on September 7. He has been a patron of the charitable association for 15 years.
WellChild “prioritizes the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of these individuals and their families,” Harry said in a statement shared on Wednesday, August 23, adding that he is “honored to attend this year’s awards ceremony and celebrate their incredible work.”
As the event takes place just days before the Invictus Games, and Meghan, 42, plans to meet Harry at the international sporting event, it seems likely that the Suits alum won’t be joining her husband on his stop in the U.K.
Despite Harry and Meghan stepping down from their roles as senior royals in 2020, Harry has continued to make trips to the U.K. and other destinations in Europe. Meghan, however, hasn’t always accompanied him, often opting to stay in California with their children: son Archie, 4, and daughter Lilibet, 2.
Most recently, Harry attended the Sentebale Polo Cup in Singapore earlier this month with longtime friend Ignacio “Nacho” Figueras. “We miss our wives very much,” Figueras, 46, told Hello! Magazine during the trip, referring to Meghan and his wife, Delfina Blaquier. The polo player added that the ladies weren’t present as it was “a very short trip” for himself and the prince.
Harry also traveled solo on his last trip to the U.K. earlier this summer for his phone hacking trial against Mirror Group Newspapers. While there, he reportedly didn’t see his father, King Charles III, or his brother, Prince William, with whom he has had a rocky relationship since stepping back from his royal duties and relocating to the United States.
Although Harry’s phone hacking claims were thrown out for falling outside of the six-year time limit for bringing a case, judge Timothy Fancourt ruled in July 2023 that the case can move forward on allegations of unlawful information gathering. A trial is set to begin in January 2024.
