Although her attendance has been uncertain in the lead-up to the Games, the 43-year-old’s decision to attend has finally been announced just hours before the opening ceremony at the BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Meghan’s decision to attend is thought to have been made due to her wish to be there in support her husband – as well as the mission of the Games. The Invictus Games were co-founded by Harry in 2014, with the first events taking place in London.
The Duchess of Sussex has been present at many events for the Games – which is an international multi-sport event for wounded, injured and sick military service personnel – since their relationship first came to light in 2017.According to HELLO!, family remains their top priority. The couple’s two children, Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, are thought to be staying at home in California.
The pair met at the reopening ceremony of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Saturday, December 7. The landmark building was extensively damaged in a fire in April 2019, which required some 400 firefighters to extinguish the blaze. It destroyed much of its wooden interior and the spire.
“Prince William turned into a fanboy as soon as he saw President Trump,” BehizyTweets wrote. “The world knows the boss man is back.”
In the clip, the pair can be seen engaging in a brief conversation, with William smiling warmly as Trump pats the prince on the shoulder. An identical clip, posted by user BoLoudon, has been viewed a similar number of times.
During the reopening ceremony itself, Trump sat next to French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron. It was led by the Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich, with more than 1,500 guests in attendance.
Following the ceremony, the prince and Trump met at the British Embassy in the French capital. They shook hands before doing a quick photo stop, during which Trump gestured to William and called him a “good man” before proceeding to have a 40-minute chat. They reportedly spoke about the importance of the U.S. – U.K. relationship and global issues.
According to the BBC, the president-elect described Prince William, who is first in line to the British throne, as doing a “fantastic job”. Kensington Palace described the meeting as “warm and friendly.”
Donald Trump (left) meets Britain’s Prince William on December 7, 2024, in Paris, France. The pair met at the reopening ceremony of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, five and a half years after a devastating… More AARON CHOWN – POOL/GETTY IMAGES/GETTY
According to a report by Sky News, the palace also said Trump “shared some warm and fond memories” with William about his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September 2022 and was succeeded by her son, King Charles III, who is William’s father.
Trump and William last met in person in June 2019 during an official state visit of then President Trump to the U.K. He was guest of honor at a state banquet held at Buckingham Palace, hosted by Elizabeth and other royals, including William’s wife, Princess Kate. Trump was joined by his wife Melania Trump and daughter Ivanka, as well as her husband Jared Kushner.
Trump has fondly recalled his meetings with Elizabeth, whom he called “fantastic.” He has also offered well wishes to Charles following his cancer diagnosis
Speaking on Tucker Carlson‘s docu-series Art of The Surge, Trump said: “Hopefully he’s going to be well, because he’s a really good person. [Queen] Camilla is fantastic. You get to know them so well.”
