Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrived to cheers and applause at the Invictus Games in the Netherlands on Friday – with their Netflix film crew in tow to capture every moment.
Crew members from the streaming giant ensured they stood apart from the dozens of photographers covering the Sussexes’ arrival, as the cameraman, sound recordist and producer wore maroon coloured bibs with numbers on.
The event was supposed to be yellow carpet, but Harry and Meghan decided to attend in the last 48 hours, a source told MailOnline.
They were granted ‘VVIP’ status by the local authorities, affording them top-level local protection – which will be seen as an attempt to justify their non-attendance at Prince Philip’s memorial service at Westminster Abbey last month over security concerns, after Harry’s tax-payer funded protection was stripped when he quit the UK.
It comes after critics accused the couple of ‘cashing in’ on the Games by allowing Netflix, with whom they have signed a $100million deal, into private meetings.
Some fear they are also ‘exploiting the Queen’, saying their trip this week for top-secret ‘clear the air talks’ with the monarch and Prince Charles was to please the American producers of their upcoming documentary.
After their arrival to the Games, Harry and Meghan were seen hanging out with the Ukrainian team at the tournament – which began in 2014 and is held each year for injured military veterans, although it has experienced a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Harry donned a smart navy blue suit with an open-collared white shirt while Meghan cut a chic figure with a bright white pantsuit, matching handbag and gold accessories.
Beaming Meghan drew gasps of admiration from competitors who had waited over an hour in the evening sunshine for her appearance.
‘She looks wonderful and it’s so nice to see her smiling so much,’ said one of the family members at the event.
The couple were clapped and cheered as they walked to the reception for competitors and their families.
Harry tenderly placed his hand on Meghan’s back as they stood chatting outside the reception tent, where they were joined by the Mayor of The Hague Jan Van Zanen.
As Harry guided his wife inside the marquee a huge cheer and clapping could erupted from inside.
Meghan flashed a dazzling smile and waved when she was cheered by members of Team USA.
Inside the reception the couple were guided to a stage making their best through the cheering guests, before Harry gave a short speech welcoming the competitors as Meghan looked on.
One member of the Great Britain team said: ‘It was nice to see Harry and Meghan, but there were so many people inside it was hard to hear the speech.’
The couple were making their first appearance outside the US since quitting the royal family in an acrimonious split in 2020.
Harry and Meghan were due to spend an hour at the reception before returning to a private residence where they are staying.
Meghan is expected to return to California on Monday while Harry will stay until the end of the games where he will give a closing speech.
The couple will attend a driving skills event on Saturday afternoon and later the opening ceremony at the Zuiderpark stadium.
Earlier today, Ukrainian Oleg Karpenko said: ‘You just look who is here with us The Prince himself with a calendar.
‘The Invictus Games Ukraine team will soon start winning its medals at these competitions. Proud.’
The calendar is from an NGO called Come Back Alive, which is raising funds to assist the Ukrainian army amid the ongoing Russian invasion.
The NGO tweeted: ‘The foundation presented Prince Harry its calendar The Real Scale. Our colleagues gave the calendar to the Duke of Sussex during the Invictus Games meeting in Hague.’
It came hours after footage emerged of a blacked-out van and 4×4 leaving Windsor Castle on the same day Harry and Meghan snuck in for an incognito visit with Prince Charles and the Queen – sparking speculation they were on board.
The convoy travelled down Windsor High Street yesterday preceded by two police motorcyclists, in what could be the couple’s security escort.
Harry and Meghan were due to spend an hour at the reception before returning to a private residence where they are staying.
Meghan is expected to return to California on Monday while Harry will stay until the end of the games where he will give a closing speech.
The couple will attend a driving skills event on Saturday afternoon and later the opening ceremony at the Zuiderpark stadium.
Earlier today, Ukrainian Oleg Karpenko said: ‘You just look who is here with us The Prince himself with a calendar.
‘The Invictus Games Ukraine team will soon start winning its medals at these competitions. Proud.’
The calendar is from an NGO called Come Back Alive, which is raising funds to assist the Ukrainian army amid the ongoing Russian invasion.
The NGO tweeted: ‘The foundation presented Prince Harry its calendar The Real Scale. Our colleagues gave the calendar to the Duke of Sussex during the Invictus Games meeting in Hague.’
It came hours after footage emerged of a blacked-out van and 4×4 leaving Windsor Castle on the same day Harry and Meghan snuck in for an incognito visit with Prince Charles and the Queen – sparking speculation they were on board.
The convoy travelled down Windsor High Street yesterday preceded by two police motorcyclists, in what could be the couple’s security escort.
Speaking to MailOnline, Meghan’s acid-penned biographer Tom Bower sensationally branded the Sussexes ‘the Royal Family’s worst traducers’ and accused the couple of ‘exploiting an old, unwell woman to boost their credibility and coffers’.
Netflix sent a camera crew to follow Harry and Meghan when they met the Ukraine team for their documentary about the Paralympic-style games.
Royal experts believe the VVIP status given to the couple will allow Netflix to portray the couple in a favourable light, as they deal with the fallout from their bombshell interview with Oprah last year.
Talking about Harry and Meghan’s summit with the Queen and Charles, Mr Bower said last night: ‘I have no doubt it was all done for their Netflix documentary. The Queen’s advisers failed to protect her from being exploited by the Royal Family’s worst traducers, while the Sussexes exploited an old, unwell woman to boost their credibility and coffers.’
MailOnline has contacted representatives for Harry and Meghan for comment. Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the video.
Other experts suggested that the surprise face-to-face meeting with the Queen, who will be 96 next Thursday and has experienced a series of health problems recently, was an ‘olive branch’ after considerable tension between the Sussexes and royal family.
Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, said the visit would have made the Queen very happy despite the couple’s highly publicised criticism of the royals. In their interview with Oprah, they accused an unnamed senior royal of racism.
Meanwhile, Meghan and Harry’s mouthpiece Omid Scobie used the visit to direct a jab at palace officials, tweeting: ‘Three years ago keeping plans to visit the Queen a secret would have been impossible. Yesterday was another reminder of where the constant and unwanted leaks were coming from. HMTQ will always opt for fuss-free, so I’m sure it was much appreciated on both sides.’
Harry and his father have spoken only rarely over the past two years and he heavily criticised Charles in last year’s tell-all Oprah interview in California last year for failing to support him and allegedly cutting the duke off financially.
The claims were disputed by supporters of Charles, who say he has been left desolate by his younger son’s rejection. He is also said to be deeply concerned about Harry’s memoirs, due to be published later this year, which he fears will be further used to settle scores.
Miss Seward told The Sun newspaper: ‘It is a wonderful opportunity to clear the air and offer an olive branch. After everything that has gone on it must have taken a lot for Harry and Meghan to go to Windsor. Also Maundy Thursday is a very special day for the Queen as it is about forgiveness. She is not one to hold grudges and I think she would have happily welcomed them with open arms.’
The Sun reported a busload of tourists had seen the couple visiting Windsor Castle, with one telling the paper they ‘couldn’t believe it when I saw who it was. We waved and they waved back. They looked happy and relaxed and waved to everyone on the bus’.
Meghan last saw the Queen at an awkward Commonwealth Day service on March 8, 2020 but has claimed since to regularly speak to her on the phone and over video calls.
Harry has not seen his grandmother in person since Prince Philip’s funeral last April when he flew over briefly from their new home in the US. And the Queen has not met their baby daughter Lilibet. But their contact would have been limited because of Covid restrictions.
The duke has since launched a High Court legal action against the Home Office claiming it is too dangerous to bring his family to the UK after being stripped of his official Metropolitan Police protection.
The couple are understood to have left Windsor yesterday afternoon and are now more than likely in the Netherlands to attend the prince’s Invictus Games, the Paralympic-style event he set up for wounded service personnel, which opens tomorrow in The Hague.
It is not believed that Harry and Meghan met the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during their 24 hours on British soil. William and Harry’s relationship has been at rock bottom since Harry pressed the nuclear button on his royal life.
Harry is suing the Home Office after he was stripped of his round the clock taxpayer- funded police protection after quitting the UK.
He has since told the High Court that he is willing to pay for it himself when in the UK as he does not believe he and his family are safe in this country as his own privately-funded civilian team of US bodyguards cannot carry arms and will, he argues, not be kept updated of the relevant intelligence.
Last night a spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed that they had been to Windsor to see the Queen.
It comes after sources close to the couple revealed that Harry and Meghan will be given the ‘VVIP’ status in the Netherlands, affording them top-level local protection – which will be seen as an attempt to justify their non-attendance at Prince Philip’s memorial service at Westminster Abbey last month over security concerns.
‘The Netflix film crew will most certainly favourably capture Harry and Meghan,’ said Talk Radio royal commentator Charles Rae.
‘It will look as if they are still members of the royal family when they are private citizens. That will be the whole aim to show people they are still considered very important people. It will no doubt make great play of the ‘VVIP’ status they have been given by the Dutch authorities.’
The film crew are expected to travel in the same armed police protected motorcade that will take Harry and Meghan to the Zuiderpark stadium where the opening ceremony takes place on Saturday.
They will also film the emotional moment Harry and Meghan meet members of the Ukrainian squad whose presence is tinged with heartache over the loss of four of their former colleagues who died defending their country.
Metal barriers to prevent a car bomb attack have been lowered in place at one of the five entrances to the Zuiderpark in The Hague where the Invictus Games are being held.
Police also completed a bomb sweep of the area ahead of the couple’s arrival when they will meet friends and family of the 500 competitors taking part in the event.
Meghan is expected to stay until Monday when she will return to California while Harry, the founder of the games, will be in The Hague until the end of the week.
Unlike previous royal visits involving the couple their presence in the Dutch capital has not led to much excitement among the locals.
Fans of the couple were noticeable by their absence in the areas where members of the public could stand to try and see the California based ex-royal couple.
Even at a nearby café at the entrance to the copper coloured stadium there was not much enthusiasm for the pair’s attendance.
Café servers were more concerned over the metal security barriers at the entrance putting off customers than the presence of Harry and Meghan.
One said: ‘They do not have any meaning for us here. We have our own royal family who we consider more important. They are more interested in the showbusiness life.’
A police officer on duty said they were not expecting any crowds at the main entrance to the Zuiderpark.
Access to the couple inside the stadium and the surrounding grounds is being tightly controlled as Netflix will be filming the couple for their docu-series on the Invictus Games.
Only those media approved by their company Archewell will be allowed to photograph the couple when they meet competitors, including members of the Ukrainian team who were given a standing ovation by other competitors at their hotel.
source:dailymail
