Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appeared to be in high spirits as the 2023 Invictus Games came to an end in Düsseldorf on Saturday evening (16 September).
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex cheered as they looked on during the closing ceremony, which featured performances from British stars Rita Ora and Sam Ryder.
Meghan, 42, opted for her most glamorous look of the Games to mark the occasion, wearing a green strapless dress by the brand Cult Gaia, featuring an outer layer of leather floral appliqué.
She paired the £830 dress, which is described by the LA-based label as “an artistically crafted gown that plays with texture and pattern”, with her go-to beige Aquazzura heels.
Earlier in the week, the former Suits star was praised by fans for mixing high-end styles with more affordable high street labels such as Zara and J Crew for various Invictus events.
Harry, 39, kept things simple in a black suit and black shirt as he took to the stage to speak to the crowd at the Merkur Spiel-Arena.
The royal surprised attendees by making his opening remarks in German, emphasising the Games’ impact to the audience
“We’ve all witnessed the true impact sport has had on your recovery,” he said. “But you will never truly know the impact your actions this week have had on millions of people around the world.
“You have opened people’s hearts, through your vulnerability, through your resilience and your sheer abilities. You have shown us that joy can emerge from struggle.”
Meghan missed out on the opening ceremony earlier this week, later revealing in a speech that she had chosen to remain in California in order to spend time with the couple’s young children, four-year-old Archie and two-year-old Lilibet.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games closing ceremony— (Getty Images for Invictus Games )
Apologising for being “a little late for the party”, she revealed that she had wanted to “just spend a little bit more time getting our little ones settled [at] home, getting milkshakes, doing school drop off”.
The couple also celebrated Harry’s birthday during their time in Düsseldorf, marking the occasion with a trip to a traditional German restaurant, Brauerei Schumacher.
According to a post on the restaurant’s Instagram page, the couple dined on some classic German dishes, including weiner schnitzel and blood sausage, and drank beer brewed in-house.
“So proud! Impressed by very friendly people,” the restaurant’s team captioned a photo showing the Duke and Duchess posing with staff.
Last month, the couple’s production company Archewell launched the Netflix documentary series Heart of Invictus, which followed six injured veterans as they prepared to compete in the 2022 Invictus Games.
