Prince Harry was likely relieved as Meghan Markle left Canada before Valentine’s Day, allowing him to focus on the Invictus Games without the media spectacle surrounding their relationship, a royal expert suggested.
The Duchess of Sussex had traveled to Vancouver for the first four days of the event, supporting her husband and making several affectionate public appearances that sparked criticism. However, she departed early, flying back to California to reunite with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Royal expert Hugo Vickers suggested that her exit was strategically timed to allow Harry to step back into the spotlight. “I think probably the main reason that she went back was to be with the children because they obviously take that very seriously, and she had been away for four or five days,” Vickers told The Sun.
“Secondly, I think it’s very important that Prince Harry should be concentrating on the participants of the Invictus Games and supporting them. It’s a much better look for the Games to have him there on his own, rather than it being a Meghan Markle Show, which it has been to some extent at the beginning.”
The couple’s public displays of affection at the event reignited speculation that their marriage is facing challenges. Royal insiders have noted their increasingly separate lifestyles, with Harry reportedly spending his 40th birthday on a hiking trip with friends rather than with Meghan.
Vickers suggested that the Sussexes may be strategically “playing to their strengths” in an effort to reshape their public image. “In my view, he does that better when she is not around because when we saw earlier in the week, she sort of took the whole thing over. It became the Meghan Markle Show,” he said.
Meanwhile, sources close to the couple insist Meghan’s departure was pre-planned. “This was always planned. Meghan is going home to be with her children,” a source stated. “This is Prince Harry’s event, and she is there to support him, but this was planned.”
Royal biographer Ingrid Seward echoed concerns over Meghan’s involvement, stating, “I thought it was unnecessary of Meghan to interfere with what is essentially Harry’s baby. He doesn’t need Meghan there to introduce him.” As speculation over their relationship continues, Meghan’s decision to leave Harry in Canada has only fueled further debate over their future as a power couple.
