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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s trip to Canada for the countdown to the 2025 Invictus Games just might’ve made Prince William and Kate Middleton happy. Or at least breathing a sigh of relief. According to a royal author, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s latest round of public appearances took the “focus” off of the Prince and Princess of Wales, however briefly.  

Harry and Meghan traveled to Canada for the 2025 Invictus Games One Year to Go events

Like in years past, Harry and Meghan anticipated the 2025 Invictus Games with a trip to the host country. This time around, British Columbia, Canada, is the location of the competition. 

Harry and Meghan spent Feb. 14-16, 2024, at the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025’s One Year to Go celebrations. 

There, they toured the Winter Training Camp, met competitors, and tried some new winter sports, such as adaptive skiing and skeleton bobsledding.  

The 2025 games mark the first one with winter sports and the seventh overall since Harry introduced the sporting competition for veterans in 2014. They center around veterans who were wounded during service. 

The Invictus Games trip took the ‘focus’ off of William and Kate and reflected positively on the royal family 

Now for why Harry and Meghan’s trip to Canada to promote the countdown to the 2025 Invictus Games is good for the royal family. According to royal author Tom Quinn, “It reflects on the royal family as a whole,” (via Express). 

So, all those photos and videos of Harry and Meghan smiling, laughing, and even trying some winter sports? They’re all flattering as far as The Firm is concerned.  

Plus, Harry’s brother and sister-in-law, the Prince and Princess of Wales, likely appreciate the positive coverage instead of headlines about the ongoing royal rift. 

“I don’t think Kate and William will mind at all if the focus shifts to Harry and Meghan,” the Gilded Youth author said. “Even if the focus is unusually warm and positive.” 

“It never looks good for us to be reminded that Harry is angry and resentful at his father and William,” he explained. 

And, perhaps, something of a respite as Kate continues to recover at home following abdominal surgery in January 2024. 

The trip to Canada may have given Harry perspective on his own life 

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Quinn continued, saying Harry may be looking at his life differently in the wake of his and Meghan’s Canada trip. 

“I think the veterans remind him that illness and disability are far more important than petty rows and arguments.”

“I’m sure the king’s cancer diagnosis fits into this. Whatever difficulties Harry has had with his father, he won’t want to be seen not to care. And I suspect he really does care.”

During the trip, Harry reflected on visiting King Charles, which took place before the Invictus Games countdown celebrations. During a Good Morning America interview, Harry said he felt “grateful” for the time he spent with his father. Additionally, that he loves his family.  

“It will have been a shock to him as, like most people, he will have assumed that his father would go on as monarch probably into his 90s just as [Queen] Elizabeth II did,” Quinn added.