Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are choosing to focus on rehabilitating their image amid ongoing family drama.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Canada from Feb. 14-16 for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025’s One Year to Go celebrations. During the three-day visit, the pair joined members of the participating nations’ Winter Training Camp, which offers seasonal adaptive sports ahead of the Games next year.
The visit up north came shortly after Harry’s whirlwind trip to the U.K. The prince was in his home country for just 24 hours to see his father, King Charles III, shortly after Buckingham Palace announced the British monarch was diagnosed with cancer.
MEGHAN MARKLE DEFENDS WEBSITE DESIGNERS AFTER TAKING HEAT FOR USING ROYAL TITLES
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, attend a training session for competitors in the Invictus Games in Whistler, Canada, on Feb. 14, 2024. (James Whatling for Fox News Digital)
Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend a training session for competitors in the Invictus Games, in Whistler, BC, Canada, on February 15, 2024. (James Whatling for Fox News Digital)
“Harry was clearly unprepared for the chilly reception he got from his … brother when he flew to London to check in on the king,” Christopher Andersen, author of “The King,” told Fox News Digital.
“It should have been a time for reconciliation, but clearly … [Prince] William [wasn’t] in the least bit interested,” Andersen said. “For Harry, it was a stinging rebuke. Of course, [the Duke and Duchess of Sussex] will always be closely monitoring the king’s medical condition, but my guess is that Harry and Meghan will now redouble efforts to establish their brand entirely separate from the royal family.”
A source told Fox News Digital that the Duke of Sussex, 39, had previous communication with his father before the news of his illness went public.
King Charles and Queen Camilla attend a church service on Feb. 11, 2024. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
“The duke did speak with his father about his diagnosis,” the source confirmed.
According to several royal experts, the king and his son had a private meeting that lasted for 45 minutes. Allegedly, Harry and his older brother, Prince William, the Prince of Wales, didn’t meet and there were no plans to do so.
The duchess, 42, stayed behind in California with their two young children.
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Prince William returned to royal duties for the first time on Feb. 7 since his father, King Charles III, announced his cancer diagnosis and his wife, Princess Kate Middleton, was hospitalized for abdominal surgery. (AP Newsroom)
Kinsey Schofield, host of the “To Di For Daily” podcast, told Fox News Digital that the couple’s trip to Canada had been on the books for “a while,” long before the king’s health issues arose.
“I do think that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle lean on the Invictus Games for positive feedback because … it is a great cause, a cause built under the royal family’s umbrella and a template originally built by palace staff. Do you think Prince Harry decides where the porta-potties go? No chance. They will welcome positive feedback and will work with media entities directly that will ensure them of that, but this was a pre-planned trip.”
Modeled after the Warrior Games in the United States, Harry founded the Invictus Games in 2014 as a Paralympic-style event designed to inspire military veterans around the world as they work to overcome battlefield injuries. Harry was a former captain in the British Army.
Prince Harry, a former captain in the British Army, founded the Invictus Games in 2014. (James Whatling for Fox News Digital)
Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, tries out the luge, as he and Meghan Markle attend a training session for competitors in the Invictus Games, in Whistler, BC, Canada, on February 15, 2024. (James Whatling for Fox News Digital)
But the Invictus Games isn’t the only thing keeping the couple busy these days following the king’s health announcement.
On Monday, the couple quietly launched Sussex.com, a website that features the latest news about the pair as well as links to their Archewell Foundation organization and Archewell Productions hub. It highlights Markle’s coat of arms, which incorporates Harry’s crest. The site mentioned Harry’s recent appearance at the NFL Honors in Las Vegas, where he presented the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year to Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward.
Then on Tuesday, it was announced that the duchess signed a new podcast deal with Lemonada Media. Not only will her Spotify series “Archetypes” be distributed to all podcast platforms, but she’s also launching a new show that she will host.
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Diana, Princess of Wales, and her son, Prince Harry, are shown in Lech, Austria, circa 1992. Harry detailed the loss of his mother in his memoir, “Spare.” (Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive)
“The new website for Harry and Meghan is another attempt in my eyes to remind Americans and Britons alike that their heritage remains and their wish to support causes on both sides of the Atlantic, if allowed,” royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital.
However, he warned that if the couple doesn’t aim to reconcile with the royal family, any latest moves may be seen as “publicity stunts” by royal watchers and be “rejected.”
“Their new website tackily trades on their royal coat of arms using the title ‘The Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,’ yet again being hypocritical,” he said. “Additionally and importantly, when they departed for the U.S., they were explicitly [warned] against leveraging their royal status ‘for commercial purposes.’ The last thing the king needs while he’s undergoing treatments for cancer is to be faced with the pressure of what ramifications are in order.”
Meghan Markle will be launching a new podcast. (James Whatling for Fox News Digital)
The Invictus Games take place in Canada next year. (James Whatling for Fox News Digital)
“The Invictus Games have always been viewed most positively, but with all these negative issues surrounding them, this doesn’t bode well from a re-branding perspective,” he added.
“Harry has so much of his heart and soul invested in the Invictus Games,” Andersen said. “It’s a cause he returns to whenever he needs recentering. He would like to be defined by Invictus more than by his place in the royal family.”
In response to the criticism, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told The Mirror: “We’ve heard time and time again that certain opportunities are make or break for the couple. They’re still here. They’re still working and pursuing what they believe in, despite constantly being challenged and criticized. This couple will not be broken.”
A spokesperson for the couple didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
On Thursday, People magazine reported that the couple adopted their titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as the last name for their two children. The outlet noted that Sussex is their family surname. Using their titles as their children’s last names follows the tradition used by members of the royal family.
In 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals and moved to California. At the time, they alleged palace officials were insensitive to Markle’s mental health struggles as she attempted to navigate royal life. The couple also alleged that the duchess faced racist attitudes from the U.K. press, which contributed to their decision to leave the country.
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In 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals and moved to California. (James Whatling for Fox News Digital)
Following their departure, the couple aired their complaints about life as royals. (James Whatling for Fox News Digital)
Following their departure, the couple aired their complaints about life as royals. In 2021, they sat down with Oprah Winfrey for an interview that was viewed by 50 million people globally. After releasing a six-part docuseries on Netflix in 2022, Harry’s memoir, “Spare,” hit bookshelves in 2023, quickly becoming a bestseller.
The relationship between William and Harry, which was strained by the time Harry made his exit, worsened when he publicly detailed his grievances. Harry also discussed his sibling rivalry in his bestselling book.
“The [Canada trip] is a three-day, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it promotion for the 2025 Invictus Games,” Schofield said. “People who are upset over the king’s diagnosis think the new website is grandiose … this trip is not going to change your mind. If you want them stripped of their titles … this trip does not change your mind. The primary feedback is: ‘Why won’t they just go away?’”
On Thursday, it was reported that the couple adopted their titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as the last name for their two children. (James Whatling for Fox News Digital)
The Winter Training Camp provides seasonal sports ahead of the Games in 2025. (James Whatling for Fox News Digital)
Schofield noted that the best thing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex can do to rehabilitate their image is to make peace with the rest of the royal family. But will one family extend an olive branch to the other? Time will tell.
“They are in an odd place,” Schofield said. “If you look at recent polls, there are a significant amount of people that dislike them. Instead of leaning into anything authentic and humbling … they publish a website touting how influential they are. They really do lack self-awareness. … Continuing to be so defiant [amid the king’s health] looks cruel. They seem to … create more hurt and frustration in the middle of hard times.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.