Meghan Markle goes on a spree of cuddles at the Invictus Games after Team USA’s winning wheelchair basketball final against France – but one young fan doesn’t look so interested
Meghan Markle went on a cuddling spree when joining Prince Harry at the Invictus Games yesterday.
The beaming Duchess of Sussex, 42, threw her arms around contestants and their loved ones after watching the wheelchair basketball final at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf, Germany.
But one youngster appeared uninterested in the mother-of-two’s displays of affection, seemingly sticking to gazing at a gold medal placed around his neck instead of reaching in for the hug.
Meghan warmly embraced members of the USA team after their winning match against France – and handed out medals to the triumphant players in front of a packed crowd.
As the audience cheered, the Duchess made a point of hugging each of the contestants as their friends and family looked on from the side of the court.
Meghan Markle (pictured right) went on a cuddling spree when joining Prince Harry at the Invictus Games yesterday
The beaming Duchess of Sussex, 42, threw her arms around contestants and their loved ones after watching the wheelchair basketball final at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf, Germany
She also comforted 10-year-old Jayden Martinez after placing his father Davey’s gold award round his neck – and despite the young fan seemingly looking uninterested in images, he was said to have ‘loved meeting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’.
A member of the US team said: ‘He was so proud of his dad who is a double gold medal winner.
‘He loved meeting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Seeing his dad win the medals was a pinch me moment for him.’
The tender moment came after she had hugged the former Special Forces Master Sergeant – the same player Harry had kissed on the head after a previous win.
Meghan showed her allegiance to the US team by sporting a stars and stripe flag on her jumper. She leapt from her seat and punched the air after Team US triumphed 29-15 in the competition by beating France.
During the fiercely competitive match Meghan had clapped and cheered as the US team took a commanding lead and eventually won the final.
Former special forces soldier Martinez has served in Iraq and Afghanistan and retired from the US army after 25 years service.
Meghan’s cuddling spree wasn’t the only kind of affectionate display she put on while watching the action as she also looked more loved-up than ever with her husband Prince Harry, 38.
Mother-of-two Meghan warmly embraced members of the USA team after their winning match against France – and handed out medals to the triumphant players
Meghan (pictured hugging contestants) showed her allegiance to the US team by sporting a stars and stripe flag on her jumper
Meghan (pictured right) leapt from her seat and punched the air after Team US triumphed 29-15 in the competition by beating France
Harry and Meghan (pictured right) took part in the gold medal presentation ceremony in front of a packed crowd
As the audience cheered, Meghan made a point of hugging each of the players as their friends and family looked on from the side of the court. Pictured, Harry and Meghan hugging contestants
During the fiercely competitive match Meghan had clapped and cheered as the US team took a commanding lead and eventually won the final
Meghan attends the medal ceremony and congratulates the winning team from the USA at Wheelchair Basketball Finals between USA and France at Centre Court, Merkus Spiel-Arena
The Duchess of Sussex greets contestants during day four of the Invictus Games
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex held hands, cosied up to one another and were seen affectionately leaning towards each other as they attended the wheelchair basketball final.
Meghan was seen shyly looking towards her husband, who appeared to sweetly whisper in her ear during one candid moment, while another showed Harry wrapping his arm around his wife as they watched the nail-biting action on court.
Barely leaving each other’s sides all day, the couple – whose two children, Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two, are back home in Montecito, California – couldn’t stop smiling.
Meghan’s spree of cuddles comes after she claimed in her Netflix documentary (2022) that the Princess of Wales found her hugging ‘jarring’ – despite Kate having been pictured embracing many members of the public throughout the years.
The Duchess said: ‘Even when Will and Kate came over and I was meeting her for the first time I remember I was in ripped jeans, I was barefoot. Like I was a hugger, I have always been a hugger I didn’t realise that is really jarring for a lot of Brits.
‘I started to understand that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside, that there is a forward facing way of being and then you close the door and think “OK we can relax now”. But that formality carries over on both sides and that was surprising to me.’
Meanwhile, Prince Harry’s deep rift with his family is casting a shadow over the Invictus Games, veterans ‘caught up in the royal crossfire’ have claimed.
The Duke of Sussex‘s time with the Army in Afghanistan inspired him to launch the sporting event in 2014 but the Prince and Princess of Wales were central to its initial success.
Harry whispers in his wife Meghan’s ear as they attend the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf
Invictus has grown in size each year but veterans feel the absence of other royals
Meghan smiles to the crowds at an event last night
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex cheer on the US team as they watch the basketball at the Invictus Games yesterday
At one point, the tension gets too much for Harry as he looks away during the game
Harry, who launched the games nine years ago, points something out to his laughing wife
The Duchess of Sussex hands out medals to the winning USA wheelchair basketball team
The Duchess hugged some of the stars of the tournament
Harry and Meghan at the medal presentation of the wheelchair basketball
The Duchess of Sussex was very vocal as she watched one of the events yesterday
The couple’s now-defunct foundation, which they formed with the duke, hoovered up sponsors and spent huge sums of cash to get Invictus up and running.
Nine years ago Harry, his father and brother stood united as they attended the opening ceremony and multiple events at the games in London – but the new King and his heir have had zero involvement since Harry met Meghan.
Despite Harry’s passion for Invictus, which is growing in size, officials say there have been plenty of spare seats at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf. Some believe that the involvement of the King, William and Kate would change that.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have both been at the rugby World Cup in France in the past week while King Charles and Queen Camilla and other senior royals have been at the Highland Games.
One Team GB insider told The Daily Telegraph: ‘The athletes find it bizarre but don’t want to get caught up in the royal crossfire.’
This year’s games in Germany are the biggest ever involving 22 nations and 500-plus athletes. Harry has been there from start to finish, joining the applause, dancing in the crowd and joking about going out on the beers at the end of the day.
He was in high spirits in the days before Meghan arrived, high fiving children and singing Sweet Caroline.
But there has been no word from his family in the UK.
Double amputee Ben McBean, who was on the same return flight from Afghanistan as Harry in 2008 and credited with inspiring the Duke to launch Invictus, said he understood both sides of the ‘rift’ between the brothers. But he added that they should have put their differences aside.
He told The Daily Telegraph: ‘They should have just given the lads a shout-out. It’s like when we went to Afghanistan, no one supported the war, but they supported the troops. It’s the same thing’.
Palace sources reportedly say that members of the Royal Family never involve themselves in others’ professional endeavours, and they would not expect the duke to voice support for William’s Earthshot Prize, for example.
One critic of Harry said: ‘Harry has never supported any of latest William‘s projects, not Earthshot when he is president of African Parks and an advocate for climate change… but they insist William must support Invictus. I’m so tired of this nonsense’.
Harry and Meghan share a private moment
Harry and Meghan are now the only two royals involved in the games. William and Kate had supported it in the past
Meghan attends the medal ceremony and hands over a medal to the winning team
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are seen at the wheelchair basketball final between the United States and France
Prince Harry speaks enthusiastically to a Team GB supporter
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex meets Nigerian athlete Glory Essien during day three of the Invictus Games
Earlier this month King Charles attended the Highland Games – an event which was a firm favourite of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II – with Camilla.
They were joined by Anne, Princess Royal, and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence at the games which have been a part of Scotland’s culture for hundreds of years.
Critics argue the Royal Family‘s ‘ill-will’ towards Harry should not be held against the disabled veterans who are competing.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were integral in the early stages of the Invictus Games.
The Royal Foundation, which was shared by Prince Harry at the time, invested significant amounts of money in the event.
Meanwhile Harry’s brother Prince William continued with his charity work yesterday in London, visiting a building site to discuss the mental health of construction workers.
His sister-in-law Kate has also been carrying out royal visits this week, going to HMP High Down in Surrey on Tuesday to learn more about the work of an addiction charity.
King Charles III visited Tomintoul in the Cairngorms where he was welcomed by primary school children and community stalwarts.
An anonymous UK media strategist said: ‘It’s ironic Buckingham Palace has had more to say about the Highland Games than the Invictus Games, despite the honorary military roles they hold.
‘In doing so, the palace ends up looking mean-spirited and petty. The ill will against Harry should not be held against the Invictus competitors.’
The Invictus Games is one of the big projects that Prince Harry has continued since his departure from the royal family.
He was given a hero’s welcome in Germany by those attending the latest iteration of the competition he founded for wounded and disabled military veterans.
Harry arrived at the event trailed by dozens of excited schoolchildren who had been given time off from studies to attend.
He has said he plans to attend as many events as he can during the week-long competition.
On Tuesday, Meghan Markle joined the Duke at the games held at the Merkur Spiel-Arena, where the pair were seen smiling and rejoicing as they watched numerous sporting events.
The Duchess was seen sporting a stars and stripes badge as she cheered her home country on during the wheelchair basketball game between USA and France yesterday.
