Meghan backs Team USA! Duchess of Sussex hugs athlete draped in American flag as she takes centre stage on final day of Invictus Games

Meghan Markle hugged an athlete draped in the American flag as she took centre stage on the final day of the Invictus Games today.

The Duchess of Sussex, 42, handed  the gold medal to Danielle Pothoof at the Swimming Medals Ceremony during day seven of the sporting event in Dusseldorf.

Wearing £260 trousers and a £580 trench coat from Cuyana as well as £545 Aquazurra purist pumps the royal hugged the athlete donning the star-spangled banner and couldn’t help but grin.

Danielle, who competes in both swimming and sitting volleyball at the games, served in the US Marine Corps as a Staff Sergeant.

While serving in Afghanistan in 2011, Danielle’s unit drove over a IED – leaving her critically injured and eventually needing a leg amputation. 

Meghan Markle hugged an athlete draped in the American flag as she took centre stage on the final day of the Invictus Games today

The Duchess of Sussex, 42, handed the gold medal to Danielle Pothoof at the Swimming Medals Ceremony during day seven of the sporting event in Dusseldorf

Wearing £260 trousers and a £580 trench coat from Cuyana as well as £545 Aquazurra purist pumps the royal hugged the athlete donning the star-spangled banner and couldn’t help but grin

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle present medals at the Invictus Games

The royal looked very close with the athletes from team USA

The athletes draped Meghan in the star spangled banner as they hugged her

Meghan looked delighted to join the American athletes

Harry also joined in hugging the athletes

Meghan couldn’t help but grin as she met with the American stars

The Duchess of Sussex pictured at a medal ceremony at the 2023 Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany

 Yulia Paievska receives a medal at Invictus games from Prince Harry and Meghan

Harry and Meghan congratulate Yulia ‘Taira’ Paievska at the Swimming Medals Ceremony during day seven of the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf 2023 on September 16, 2023

Meghan (right) dazzled in a Cuyana jacket and pants matched with a white tank top and Lanvin earrings

Volunteer paramedic Yulia Paievska, 53, was kidnapped by Russian soldiers in March while she was heading to treat injured members of public after a bomb attack on a theatre in Mariupol

Meghan presented medals to the swimming finalists – including one of the stars of the Netflix series about the military veterans taking part.

With Prince Harry joining in the ceremony the couple gave a group hug to Ukrainian war hero Yulia Payevska.

She has been one of most popular athletes at the games among the crowds who have attended the sports events.

The paramedic had been due to take part in last year’s games in The Hague in Holland but was was taken prisoner by the Russians.

She was released after three months and this week found success in the pool where she won a silver medal.

Payevska has folk hero status in the Ukraine and was responsible for smuggling out footage during the siege of Mariupol in 2022 much to anger of President Putin.

After her capture she was used in propaganda videos filmed by the Russians urging her country to surrender.

She found herself in solitary confinement with just half a glass of water to drink each day and no treatment for her thyroid and asthma conditions. 

She was later moved into a women’s cell measuring 10ft by 20ft, where she says the captives were routinely beaten and tortured with electricity. 

Attempts at a prisoner exchange failed but she was set free after three months in captivity describing the condition she was kept in as inhumane.

She was unable to compete in the 2022 Invictus Games and her daughter took her place.

Due to injuries she received while on a tour of duty as a medics she had both hips replaced and walks with the aid of the crutch.

Despite the trauma of her captivity, she says she is determined to carry on assisting Ukraine as it defends itself from continued Russian aggression. 

Among other recipients of medals at the games was father-of-two Richard, from Cardiff, who joined the Royal Air Force at 21 in 2009 as he wanted to travel the world.

But in 2019 whilst stationed in Cyprus, he had an aircraft engine transportation trailer towed into the back of his foot, eventually resulting in an amputation in 2021.

In those two years he became unable to walk and ‘life became very grey’.

‘I felt pretty miserable being unable to do any of the things I enjoyed and missed out on so many family outings due to severe pain,’ he said.

‘I still have daily challenges and I, along with my family, have had to adapt to my new life as an amputee.’

He said getting back into sport, competing this year in swimming and archery, has made his life ‘colourful’ and he can be ‘a dad once again’.

‘I cannot wait to push myself and show others what I can do and create better understanding that losing a limb is not the end of the world,’ he said.

‘I’m incredibly proud to get to represent my country once again. Once I was out the RAF I wondered how and where in society I fitted.’

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Yuliia ‘Taira’ Paievska attend the Swimming Medals Ceremony

Duchess of Sussex greets Yuliia ‘Taira’ Paievska during the Swimming Medals Ceremony during day seven of the Invictus Games

Volunteer paramedic Yulia Paievska, 53, was kidnapped by Russian soldiers in March while she was heading to treat injured members of public after a bomb attack on a theatre in Mariupol. Pictured: The destroyed theatre in Mariupol 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet Ukrainian athlete Yulia Paievska to present her with a medal on Saturday

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex present medals at a swimming medal ceremony on Saturday

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle present medals at the Invictus Games 2023, Merkur Spiel Arena, Dusseldorf

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during a medal ceremony at the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf on Saturday September 16, 2023

At the ceremony on Saturday, Meghan dazzled in a Cuyana jacket and pants matched with a white tank top and Lanvin earrings.

Harry was casually dressed in white shirt and grey trousers.

The couple gave each of the medal recipients a hug after presenting the military veterans with their medals.

They were only on stage for a brief time before leaving the stage in the Invictus village.

Veterans minister Johnny Mercer also took part in the medal ceremony.

Harry and Meghan will both be at the closing ceremony tonight where Rita Ora will perform six of her hits.

Meghan will take a back seat as only Harry will deliver a speech saluting those who have taken part and looking forward to the 2025 games in Canada.

Meghan was left teary eyed during the sixth day of the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf yesterday as she was spotted in footage wiping away tears at another medal ceremony for the veterans.

Poland was victorious over Colombia in the sitting volleyball final which the Duke and Duchess attended today alongside Veteran’s Minister Johnny Mercer and the many, many supporters. 

Video footage captured the moment Meghan was moved to tears while the crowd continued to roar with applause after she hugged and chatted with the winning competitors who were presented with gold medals.

Prince Harry, who founded the games for veterans back in 2014, put a comforting arm around his wife as they put on a united front at the competition. Meanwhile the royal family avoided any reference to his 39th birthday.  

On day six of the Invictus Games, Meghan Markle writes her signature on a huge tribute wall filled with names 

The Duchesses’ well known ‘M’ is written very near where someone had already scribbled the same name as the late Princess of Wales

Meghan also yesterday added her signature to a huge tribute wall filled with names – she chooses to place hers directly above a giant ‘Diana’ message.

The Duchesses’ well known ‘M’ is written very near where a fan has already written the name of the late Princess of Wales. 

In the early days of her acting career, Meghan earned extra money by doing calligraphy – this is evident by the flare used to write her swirly ‘M’. 

The wall appeared to be packed with colourful signatures, well-wishes and notes of encouragement from those attending and participating in the competition.