Meghan Markle to attend Invictus Games with Prince Harry as couple adopt new PR strategy
EXCLUSIVE: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will join singer Katy Perry at the Invictus Games opening ceremony at BC Place Vancouver on February 8.
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Meghan Markle will join Prince Harry at next week’s Invictus Games in Canada, Express.co.uk has learned.
According to a well-placed source, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, decided to join her husband after PR firm Three Gate Strategies took over the couple’s communications earlier this month with a new direction.
Led by the couple’s former Head of Communications Ashley Hansen, the communications agency will push for a renewed focus on joint appearances and initiatives following months of solo engagements.
“There will be a renewed focus on the Sussexes as a couple, as a brand and showcasing them as a couple and family,” said the source. “The Sussexes have decided to step back a little and let Ashley take the reins on their PR plan.”
Insiders suggest that the Sussexes now plan to prioritise joint appearances to project a united front and improve their image.
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According to the source, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will attend the Invictus Games opening ceremony at BC Place Vancouver on February 8.
Originally planned as a solo trip for the Duke, 40, this shift reflects their renewed focus on collaboration in public engagements.
American singer Katy Perry will perform at the opening ceremony along with Grammy-nominated Noah Kahan, and Canadian singer Nelly Furtado.
The closing ceremony will take place at Rogers Arena on February 16 and will be the only “adult-only” part of the games where officials and participants can let their hair down at the end of nine days of sporting competition.
“It was important for the Sussexes to appear together at such a worthwhile event,” said the source. “The Invictus Games is a Sussex initiative and something they want their children to continue once they get older.”
The couple is also planning some sort of fundraiser for victims of the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, a move aligned with their commitment to humanitarian causes.
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Recent solo engagements by the Duke and Duchess have fallen somewhat flat with the public, and the couple have been at the end of a media backlash in recent years.
Meghan faced a barrage of insults from former aides in the American press last year who labelled her a “dictator in heels” and someone who “terrifies” staff.
Adding to the pressure are accusations made against Meghan just last week regarding her alleged treatment of staff.
A Vanity Fair article, headlined “American Hustle,” drew significant attention, with contributing editor Anna Peele quoting sources who described the Sussexes as “the most entitled, disingenuous people on the planet.”
Critics labelling them “grifters" and "opportunists,” most recently over their perceived response to the Los Angeles wildfires, have finally flicked a switch in Team Sussex.
“The [Vanity Fair] article has been very upsetting for both Harry and Meghan,” a source commented.
“They are fed up with the constant criticism they receive when they are trying very hard."
“Team Sussex believes the tide needs to turn and this is why a new approach is being taken,” said the source.
The Sussexes have been approached for comment.
