Meghan Markle can’t keep her hands off Prince Harry as couple attend star-studded Invictus Games opening ceremony – after Donald Trump branded her ‘terrible’ in brutal takedown

Meghan Markle couldn’t keep her hands to herself at tonight’s Invictus games as she smooched up a storm at the opening ceremony celebrating injured and wounded military personnel. 

The nine-day sporting event – created by Prince Harry in 2014 for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women – will see more than 500 competitors from 23 countries come together. 

It comes shortly after US President Donald Trump took a swipe at Meghan branding her ‘terrible’ as he announced he had no plans to deport Prince Harry from the US amid a legal battle over his immigration status. 

‘I don’t want to do that,’ Trump said on Friday. ‘I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible,’ he told the New York Post.

Tonight as the UK’s team – military who sustained life-changing injuries and illnesses- entered the stadium a giant screen cut to a shot of the former working royals, who stole the limelight feverishly shaking her pom-poms. 

The Duchess of Sussex, who wrapped up in a long cream trench coat as she battled against Canada’s frosty temperatures, leaned against her husband before planting a big kiss, grabbing the attention of onlookers. 

The Duchess of Sussex, 43, later leaped into the air with glee as the ceremony ensued – and at one point whipped out her phone to capture the energetic atmosphere in the stadium. 

It comes after a few mired weeks for Meghan as the release of her Archetypes podcast was postponed. 

Her sole focus during these games will be to uplift her husband, the competitors and sharing their stories. 

The Duchess of Sussex, 43, has already delayed the release of her Netflix cookery show, With Love Meghan, from January until March due to the devastation of the wildfires in LA.

Meghan was expected to have a very busy start to 2025, after relaunching her Instagram account and projects from her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard, podcast and show all on the horizon.

Some critics questioned her motives for delaying her Netflix launch by two months – but insiders told PEOPLE Magazine it was an ‘easy decision’ for Meghan to make.

It later appeared her podcast with Lemonada Media – which seemingly teased new episodes at the start of January – was also delayed.

At tonight’s ceremony, Harry and Meghan sat one row in front of the leaders of the indigenous people on whose land the games are being held in Vancouver and Whistler. 

This years games, created to celebrate service men and women who put their lives on the line for their nations, will include winter sports for the first time ever. 

The games have previously been held in London in 2014, in Orlando in 2016, Toronto in 2017, Sydney in 2018, The Hague in 2022 and Dusseldorf in 2023.

The opening ceremony began with a parade of nations taking part in the week long event, with Germany, who hosted the 2023 games in Dusseldorf, first to enter the BC Place arena.

Two competitors from Team Afghan were given a huge cheer, but the loudest noise was reserved for the host nation Canada.

Giant inflatables of a whale and dolphin hovered above the military veterans from the ceiling of the stadium with the sea creatures signifying Vancouver’s links to the Pacific Ocean.

Prince Harry later took to the stage to speak of his ‘sacred obligation’ to do everything he can to help military veterans like himself as he was given a hero’s welcome at the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games.

As his wife Meghan looked on adoringly from the stands, he said those who had gathered in Vancouver were there in a ‘spirit of unity’ while in parts of the world there was division and difficulty.  

Harry told the crowd: ‘In this moment of difficulty and division in many parts of the world, we gather here in Vancouver in a spirit of unity. We represent 23 nations.

‘Speak many different languages and reflect the full breadth of the world’s religions and faiths.

‘Beyond any differences, here at the Invictus Games we are grounded in mutual respect, competing fiercely, but believing in one another. Supporting one another. And rooting for one another.

‘The Games were born more than a decade ago, from a promise I made to myself. 

‘A promise to uphold my obligation—a sacred obligation after my own decade and privilege of military service —to do whatever I could to help my fellow brothers and sisters heal, and to champion everything we stand for.

‘Over the past decade I’ve lost count of the times we’ve heard you tell us that the Invictus Games saved you. Respectfully, I disagree. Invictus didn’t save you. You saved yourself.’ 

Saying there was ‘no shortage of crises’ in the world, he added: ‘The values you embody—the way you carry yourselves—not only at the Invictus Games, but each and every day… your courage, your resilience, your humanity…illuminate a path forward for us all and for that, we thank you.

‘Your leadership did not end when you stepped off the battlefield or took off the uniform. It endures. The example you set is a compass for the world.’

The Prince finished off his speech with a quotation from American writer Toni Morrison – who his wife Meghan is a fan of.

The Duchess shared her personal list of 10 women who have changed her life and career in an interview with Glamour in 2017. Nobel Prize-winning author Morrison, best known for her first novel The Bluest Eye (1970), was one of them.

Having taken a class on the author at university, Meghan said at the time: ‘The first time I read The Bluest Eye, I thought, ‘Wow! She creates this world for you that you get to feel a part of.’

But tonight’s show hasn’t been without issues, as the Invictus Games livestream was plagued with sound problems later apologising to remote spectators. 

It said: ‘We are aware of audio issues on the livestream of the opening ceremony for the Invictus Games Vancouver 2025.

‘We are trying to fix them and appreciate your patience.’

A star-studded line-up graced the Invictus stage tonight in Vancouver, including A-listers such as Katy Perry, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Noah Kahan and Nelly Furtado.

Frontman Martin performed the Invictus Anthem, which he was previously asked to write by Prince Harry in 2014, accompanied by choir and military band.

Later, he jibbed that Prince Harry had tried to get many other performers to write the Invictus anthem – and he was his last resort. 

Two back up singers where dressed in all black as he stood in the centre of podium as the anthem was crooned to the crowd, with Martin later singing Coldplay’s hit ‘Higher Power.

The Brit also joked that it was so cold inside the stadium that it was ‘like playing a concert in a ‘frozen food section’.

The audience was later brought to their feet with one of the Brit-pop biggest hits, Viva La Vida. 

Nelly Furtado, who has sold more than 45million records and is one of Canada’s most successful Canada also took to the stage in an all-black ensemble, starting with one of her most famous hits, I’m Like A Bird.

She was joined onstage by Indigenous blind music producer and recording artist Mattmac. The rapper has had more than 30 million streams across all platforms.

Stick Season singer Noah Kahan also took to the stage at tonight’s ceremony, singing his best-known tracks which led to his rise to stardom and earned him a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2023.

Closing out tonight’s ceremony was pop superstar Katy Perry taking centre stage in a military-inspired outfit, accompanied by a military band.

The American singer started with her inspirational anthem, which holds an empowering message for the athletes: ‘I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter dancing through the fire, ’cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar.’

She followed it up with older hits Dark Horse and Part Of Me and a recent 2024 song LIFETIMES.

Ahead of the Invictus games this morning, the Prince showed off his skills on the dance floor as he and Meghan Markle ahead of this year’s Invictus Games. 

He also hugged a female competitor as he and Meghan had a breakfast meeting ahead of the opening ceremony.

The couple were warmly greeted by the Canadian team with Meghan posting video of the encounter to her Instagram story – complete with Harry seemingly attempting to do the ‘twist’.

Harry and Meghan couldn’t resist handing out hugs as they spent time hearing about how many of the competitors have overcome adversity to make the games.

Meghan has never shied away from showing her support for her home country. At the Dusseldorf games in 2023 she was happy to drape herself in the Stars and Stripes flag.

Aides said the couple were able to hear the stories of courage and resilience from competitors taking part in the seventh Invictus Games.

US Military and Government officials were also at the meeting – but its unlikely President Donald Trump’s less than complimentary remarks about Meghan were raised.

The meeting with Team Canada was organised by the True Patriot Love organisation who are one of the sponsors of the Vancouver Games.

The couple famously appeared in public together for the first time at the Toronto Invictus Games in 2017, pictured hand-in-hand at a wheelchair tennis event.

In 2023, Meghan and Harry cheered on athletes among the crowds at the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were sitting side-by-side clapping and also reacting to the game tensely as they watched the wheelchair basketball with Australia supporters.

While Meghan is understood to have several projects on the horizon, her family remains her top priority and she is determined to continue to stand together with Harry to support the causes they care about.

The couple visited Colombia for a four-day tour last August, with the trip focusing on tackling cyber-bullying and online digital violence as well as promoting women’s leadership.

They also embarked on a three-day visit to Nigeria earlier in 2024 at the invitation of the West African nation’s chief of defense staff.

British veterans and serving personnel who were injured during service departed for Canada earlier this week for the games.

The 62 competitors – all veterans and serving personnel who sustained life-changing injuries and illnesses while serving in the UK Armed Forces – left the country from Birmingham Airport on Thursday.

The games aim to ‘inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for those who have served their country’, the Royal British Legion said.

Ahead of the highly anticipated sporting event, Meghan gave an impromptu speech at a private event for the Games where she divulged she felt ‘at home’ in Canada. 

After giving her husband an smooch on stage, the Duchess of Sussex began to shower her husband with praise for his dedication to the event. 

Highlighting the sporting event’s importance of the event, Meghan told military veterans and their families that they were her husband’s ‘family’.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved to Vancouver Island in 2020 after quitting the royal family in what became known as ‘Megxit’. 

Meghan, 43, also lived in Toronto for several years where the Netfix series ‘Suits’ was filmed and famously made their first appearance together as a couple at the 2017 Invictus Games held in the city.

She said: ‘I was not planning on speaking tonight, and we just arrived, I don’t know, a couple of hours ago, and I touched Canadian soil and I went, oh, it feels like home.’

Turning to Harry she continued: ‘We are just thrilled to be here, and I would be remiss if I didn’t take the opportunity to introduce someone who means a lot to me. And I know he means quite a lot to all of you. You will see him throughout this week.

‘You will see him at the Games. You will see him probably curling with you, cheering you on.’