Oh, Canada! Meghan Markle and Prince Harry turn on the charm as they meet delegation for 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver – after the couple’s brief stint in British Columbia

Meghan Markle turned on the charm as she joined Prince Harry at a reception thrown by the Canadian delegation to promote the 2025 Invictus Games that will feature winter sports for the first time.

The Duchess of Sussex, 42, chatted with members of the committee that will be organising the games to be held in Vancouver – a city they know well having fled there in 2019 after quitting royal life.

Meghan looked glamorous in a sleeveless grey dress which resembled the fit of her wedding dress. 

Fittingly, it was the Invictus Games in 2017 where Meghan and Harry had their first ever public appearance. 

Meghan has close friends in the city and holds great affection for Canada having lived in Toronto while she was filming the series ‘Suits’. 

Meanwhile the couple are very familiar with Vancouver having temporarily moved there in 2019 when they split from the royal family. 

They stayed on Vancouver Island at a home on at a £14m home in North Saanich, British Columbia, following their decision to step back from being working members of the royal family.

The split was terms as Megxit and the couple stayed in Canada several months before relocating to Montecito in California. 

Meghan chatted with many of the competitors who have taken part in the events in Dusseldorf.

Harry wore a dark blue suit with an open neck blue shirt as they mingled with the guests at the Hilton Hotel a short distance from where the games have been held.

The Governments of Canada and British Columbia have pledged to spend almost £20m to stage the games in February 2025. 

And for the first-time adaptive winter sports including alpine skiing, Nordic skiing and curling will be included in the programme of weeklong events and staged in the resort of Whistler.

Officials have said the local indigenous population are being consulted over the planning of the games. 

Earlier this afternoon, Meghan looked effortlessly elegant as she stepped out this afternoon alongside Prince Harry at the Invictus Games.

Earlier in the day, the Duchess of Sussex, 42, opted for another muted outfit today as she sported a matching cream playsuit from Zara and a Celine blazer to join Prince Harry at the Invictus Games.

She looked typically stylish in the two tones of off-white when attending a sitting volleyball match in Dusseldorf, Germany, with the Duke, who turns 39 today.

Bringing a touch of glitz to the Merkur Spiel-Arena, the royal styled her hair in loose waves and sported a glamorous make-up look while opting for fashionable £595 Saint Laurent black leather sandals.

Adding even more glamour to the look, she opted for her $62,000 Lorraine Schwartz pinky ring made with ‘diamonds gifted from the Middle East’ and her $2,800 1972 tennis pinky band from Shiffon and Co.

She added her £5,000 Cartier love bracelet to the ensemble as she walked hand-in-hand with Prince Harry. Her playsuit, meanwhile, is thought to have cost only £35.99 from Zara.

The Duchess completed her outfit with an olive handbag from the Cesta range made in Rwanda. 

Meghan has opted for an array on monochrome outfits this week. Firstly, she boarded a plane from Los Angeles to Europe in an all black ensemble.

She then heading to the games in a black shirt dress from Banana Republic, which she paired with black shoes and a black belt.

The mother-of-two then appeared on Wednesday in a black and white number – with white shorts, a black tank top and a white cardigan from J Crew.

Then the royal opted for go all black again, in black jeans, heels and a tank top – which she paired with a white blazer.

Despite often wearing colour while a working royal, Meghan claimed she ‘toned down’ her wardrobe while she living in the UK to avoid clashing with more senior members of the Royal Family .

The Duchess of Sussex made the claims in the third episode of her Netflix series.

She explained: ‘Most of the time I was in the UK, I rarely wore colour. To my understanding, you can’t ever wear the same colour as Her Majesty if there’s a group event but then you also shouldn’t be wearing the same colour as one of the other more senior members of the family.’

To respect this rumoured royal protocol, Meghan says she started dressing almost exclusively in shades of camel, beige and white. 

She continued: ‘I wore a lot of muted tones but it was also so I could just blend in. I’m not trying to stand out here.

 ‘There was no version of me [that was] joining this family and trying not to do everything I could to fit in. I don’t want to embarrass the family.’

So it appears that Meghan is shunning the spotlight in muted tones again.

On her way to the games, she opted for a decidedly casual look in a 773 Ulla Johnson sailor-style Polina wide-legged trousers with a matching navy V-neck jumper.

Flats were the order of the day, and the mother-of-two, who travelled with aides to the California airport donned a favoured pair of $770 Valentino ‘Roman Stud’ mules in ivory calfskin.

It was the accessories that stole the sartorial show in this particular ensemble however, with Meghan, 42, carrying a $2,650 Goyard ‘St. Louis PM’ tote bag, in which a designer scarf, believed to be a $1,200 Rayures d’Ete Shawl from Hermes, was draped.

For her first appearance, Meghan then looked radiant in a black shirt dress from Banana Republic, costing £112.

She paired her dress with black pumps and wore her thick brunette locks down and brushed behind one shoulder to reveal her £595 Kimaï hoop earrings.

She continued she can mix high street and high end in $98 J Crew linen shorts and a black tank top which she paired with a £177 J Crew blazer, Givenchy belt and £910 Chanel shoes.

She was later snapped during the Swimming Finals with a pair of £620 cream Hermès Get sneakers, made from canvas and calfskin, and emblazoned with an ‘H’ motif.

And she added some bling to the outfit with a pair of £2,000 Luna Skye earrings, shaped like leaves, and boasting baguette diamonds.

Throughout the games, Meghan has also been seen sporting her ring by celebrity jeweller Lorraine Schwartz.There have long been questions about the origin of the pinky ring, which the Duchess has worn on a number of occasions.

In 2021, Prince Harry and Meghan denied claims that the band was fashioned with diamonds gifted to the couple by a mystery donor in the Middle East – before clarifying that they were referring to a different ring.

Meanwhile, the Invictus Games crowd sang Happy birthday to a beaming Prince Harry today as he celebrated his 39th with his wife in Dusseldorf.

The Duke of Sussex attended a sitting volleyball match after a night of revelry drinking German beers and eating traditional food such as sausages, schnitzel and pork knuckle. 

Harry has not yet received a public happy birthday message from his estranged father King Charles III or brother Prince William and is not expected to see them when he jets home via London this weekend. The Royal Family no longer send public birthday wishes to those who are not senior working members.

Despite the late night out, the birthday boy looked fresh-faced as he arrived at the Merkur Spiel-Arena.

After Harry and Meghan took their seats in the stands, the stadium announcer asked the crowd: ‘Is there anybody here celebrating their own special occasion today? Anyone’s birthday? Oh I think it is someone’s birthday. A certain Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, 39 today. Happy birthday! Let’s sing along.’ 

The crowd then joined in as Harry clapped along and smiled next to the duchess – before he mouthed ‘thank you’ to the spectators.

Harry was later presented with a birthday cake by the Mayor of Dusseldorf, Dr Stephen Keller. The cake was in the colours of the Invictus Games with the words: ‘Happy Birthday Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex.’

Prince Harry washed down bratwurst sausages and wiener schnitzel with six beers but his wife stuck to one small lager at restaurant Im Goldenen Kessel last night. 

Harry famously went teetotal and abandoned caffeine when Meghan was pregnant with Archie, dumping beer, tea and coffee for green juices. In 2018 he raised a glass of water while everyone else was drinking champagne in solidarity with his wife. He also quit smoking. But based on last night he is firmly back on the booze. 

Meghan was on the march today as she took part in a medal ceremony.

She was perfectly in step with a military officer as she walked to the presentation ceremony in front of a cheering crowd.

A large crowd cheered as she took each step perfectly in time and level with the officer.

Prince Harry also took part in a ceremony and showed he had not forgotten how to march in step.

As he came to a halt, he did a smart parade ground turn and stamped his feet – showing he had not forgotten his training at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst.

In blazing sunshine Meghan walked perfectly in step with a Naval officer holding the three medals to be presented for cycling event.

She gave a broad smile as she walked slowly making sure to stay in step with the practised military officer.

Harry followed minutes later and looked comfortable marching along and was full of smiles.

He presented the gold medal for a time trial event to Dave Jarvis from Team UK. He was draped in a Scottish flag partly covering his kilt.

Harry noticed Jarvis’s wife Stephanie weeping with emotion at the side of track with her daughter Sophia.

He attempted to pull the metal safety barrier aside and when that did not work leant over and lifted the four-year-old over and handed her to her father.

As the family hugged, Harry picked up the blue and white Saltire and draped it round the family.

Stephanie revealed she shared the same birthday with Prince Harry and was presented with a necklace by her husband.

Stephanie, from the North East of Scotland, said:’ This is very emotional for us.’

Meghan presented the gold medal to James Rogers, the captain of Team UK.

He was wildly cheered by the large British contingent in the crowd who shouted out: ‘Well done, skipper.’

Meghan and Harry continued to be treated as rock stars as they went on a brief walkabout. One man called Harry over to have his photo taken, but then shouted out for Meghan.

She obliged and Harry even took off his sunglasses as the pair continued their charm offensive.

Harry, accompanied by Meghan and a dozen of his support team, last night made a secret visit to a popular restaurant in the old town of Dusseldorf.

The Duke, who is 39 today, sank six glasses of the Alt Schumacher beer as he celebrated not only his birthday but the success so far of the Invictus Games. 

His party dined on local delicacies such as Wiener Schnitzel, sausage and pork knuckle.

Harry was also presented with white chocolate which he took back to his hotel and shared with his team. Meghan had only sipped a single beer during the evening.

For her latest appearance today, Meghan wore a Zara jumpsuit Celine Blazer and Saint Laurent Sandals and had a purse from the Cesta range made in Rwanda .

The couple watched a sitting volleyball match between hosts Germany and Poland.

The Polish team mobbed Harry after the game and sang happy birthday again.

With Meghan he posed for numerous selfies before leaving where they were greeted with screams of ‘We love you, Meghan’ from a group of excited teenagers.

The group had rushed down from the stands to try to get close to the Duchess as she left.

Lina Dettling, 15, said: ‘We love Meghan. She is so pretty and we just wanted to see her.’

Kerlos Yosif, 15, added: ‘We are excited to see Harry and Meghan. To us they are like popstars . They do so much good.’

The teenagers were among hundreds of students given the day off from school to attend the games.

Later, Harry and Meghan hitched a ride on a golf buggy to take them to the road cycling event.

Last night, Harry partied with Meghan in a traditional German bar in Dusseldorf with friends where he washed down bratwurst sausage and wiener schnitzel with six beers.

Bar staff said the royals were ‘lovely’ and left a ‘big tip’ as they enjoyed plates piled high with red cabbage and mashed potato. While Harry celebrated with six half-pints, his wife stuck to just one small drink.

Diners at the Im Goldenen Kessel restaurant and bar were asked not to take pictures but said they saw the prince laughing and joking as the food arrived at his table. He also looked thrilled when a birthday cake arrived at the end of the meal.

He and Meghan posed for photographs with the owner of the restaurant Thea Ungermann and head waiter Frank Wackers who has worked at the restaurant for 38 years.

Ms Ungermann told MailOnline: ‘Harry was a lovely man and was having a very jolly time. Meghan was lovely.’