After months of not-very-successfully hiding their love affair from the media, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made their first public appearance as a couple last week—on her home turf, here in Toronto. The royal Ginger Snap was in town for the Invictus Games, his multi-sport event for wounded military personnel and veterans. Still, official business didn’t get in the way of a whole lot of royal scuttlebutt.
Here, we break down the week, one scandalous moment at a time.
According to a report in Hello!, the Prince kicked off his Toronto visit by surprising a certain someone on the set of her TV show, Suits. Per an unnamed source, HRH was “super low key” while watching Markle do her thing. “He’s incredibly supportive of her work,” the same anonymous blabbermouth revealed.
What will the Queen say? Keeping in mind that MM’s status as “career woman” is, in itself, out of step with royal tradition, it’s possible her majesty would find Harry’s visit a little improper.
The following evening, MM popped up at the Invictus opening ceremonies at the Air Canada Centre. While the prince sat in a VIP box with Justin Trudeau and Melania Trump, Markle sat several rows over with Markus Anderson. Mystery man? Not quite. Anderson—who grew up in Toronto and works with Soho House group—is Markle’s close friend, who apparently introduced her to Harry last year.
What will the Queen say? Better Meghan than Melania.
While attending the opening ceremonies, Markle was flanked by a couple of bodyguards, who hung out by the entrance near her seat at the ACC. The Daily Mail reported the security squad was courtesy of Scotland Yard (causing a little bit of scandal, given that royal security is taxpayer funded). Then, just yesterday, the Daily Mail revealed that at least some of Markle’s security bill is being funded by NBC Universal, the parent company behind Suits. Markle’s new protection detail includes CCTV cameras at her Toronto home. If that seems like a hefty expense, consider the upside to having the most buzzed-about woman on the planet star on your network’s TV series.
What will the Queen say? Not much, as long as NBC keeps footing the bill.
The new week brought the moment obsessive fans have been waiting for, as the happy (and hand-holding!) couple made their first public appearance, which happened to be at a wheelchair tennis match at city hall. This is apparently a big deal, since the Invictus Games were an official event, and protocol dictates that single royals do not bring dates to such things.
What will the Queen say? Harry, what have I told you about holding hands?
Tongues have been wagging over the shirt that Markle wore for the aforementioned tennis match. Designed by her friend Misha Nonoo, the oversized buttondown is a lot more casual than the sort of semi-formal attire Kate would wear to Wimbledon. More importantly, the garment is actually called “The Husband Shirt,” a fact that Markle was no doubt aware of. Whether she intended it as a secret code or message is perhaps less certain (regardless, it started a frenzy on Twitter). Her pants—ripped jeans!!!—could be construed as a bit of a bird-flip to stuffy royal culture.
What will the Queen say? Fetch me the royal smelling salts!
Ha! Just kidding. Any excuse to post this video of the true star of the Invictus Games, two-year-old popcorn bandit Emily Henson.
The footage may be grainy, but it’s undeniable. Harry and Meghan engaged in their most sizzling communiqué yet, while seated in a VIP box at the Invictus closing ceremony, where Bruce Springsteen performed his classic “Dancing in the Dark” (though kissing in the dark may have been more accurate).
What will the Queen say: She’ll be totally speechless.
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Courtney Shea is a freelance journalist in Toronto. She started her career as an intern at Toronto Life and continues to contribute frequently to the publication, including her 2022 National Magazine Award–winning feature, “The Death Cheaters,” her regular Q&As and her recent investigation into whether Taylor Swift hung out at a Toronto dive bar (she did not). Courtney was a producer and writer on the 2022 documentary The Talented Mr. Rosenberg, based on her 2014 Toronto Life magazine feature “The Yorkville Swindler.”