While Meghan Markle was conspicuously absent from the commencement of the
2023 Invictus Games, Prince Harry made sure to include a heartfelt tribute to
her in his speech.
During the hour-long ceremony of the Games, which took place in the German
city of Dusseldorf, Prince Harry delivered a seven-minute speech. Amid
acknowledging the inclusion of new nations in the games, including Colombia,
Israel, and Nigeria, he warmly mentioned his wife.
"As we welcome these new nations to the games, I'd like to share a personal
tidbit about my wife. Now, I won't say that we show favoritism in our
household, but ever since Meghan discovered her Nigerian heritage – she's
about 43% Nigerian, as confirmed by a genealogy test last year, which she
openly discussed in October 2022 – it seems like things might get a tad more
competitive this year," Prince Harry humorously quipped.
These comments in his speech come amidst ongoing speculations about the
couple's possible divorce, which have intensified since mid-June, following
the controversies surrounding their Spotify deal. In June, an insider
disclosed to OK! Magazine that the couple was contemplating a 'trial
separation.'
Body language expert Judi James noted a moment during Prince Harry's speech
when he broke into a broad smile.
"The big grin appeared when he announced the new nations, and each group stood
up to celebrate," she observed while speaking to the Mirror.
"One of those nations was Nigeria, and that's when Harry added a personal
touch, hinting at things getting 'a little more competitive' at home this year
due to 'My wife's discovery of her Nigerian descent.'"
While last year Meghan introduced Harry before his speech, it is expected that
the former Suits actress will join Prince Harry once the games officially kick
off.
