Celebrity

Prince Harry Pays Tribute To Queen Elizabeth During A Hockey Game

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a surprise appearance at Vancouver's Rogers Arena.

by Sam Ramsden
Updated: 
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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
Joshua Sammer/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II during a rare surprise appearance.

As People reports, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended a Vancouver Canucks hockey game in Canada on Nov. 20 to the delight of fans inside the Rogers Arena.

Ahead of the showdown between the Vancouver Canucks and the San Jose Sharks, Prince Harry walked onto the rink to carry out the first puck drop, before heading back to a VIP box to enjoy the head-to-head alongside Meghan.

The couple’s surprise Canadian visit comes ahead of the 2025 Invictus Games that are set to be held in Vancouver and Whistler. Founded by the Duke of Sussex, the annual sporting event aims to support wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women.

Prince Harry attends a Vancouver Canucks hockey game.Jeff Vinnick/National Hockey League/Getty Images

He Followed In The Queen’s Footsteps

Harry’s appearance at the Vancouver hockey match occurred 21 years after his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, also carried out the ceremonial puck drop at a game between the same teams (the Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks) in 2002.

The late Queen stopped by the game during her 11-day tour of Canada in celebration of her Golden Jubilee, which marked 50 years of her reign as the British monarch.

Don MacKinnon/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

The late monarch also previously attended a hockey game in Canada before she was crowned Queen, and attended a match between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Blackhawks back in 1951.

Harry & Meghan’s Love Of Canada

Although a shock to hockey fans at the stadium, Harry and Meghan’s Canadian appearance should come as no surprise given the couple’s affinity for the commonwealth country.

Before marrying into the royal family, the Duchess of Sussex lived in the city of Toronto while filming the hit legal drama Suits — the recent resurgence of which was described as “wild” by Meghan (aka Rachel Zane).

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle cheer on the Vancouver Canucks. Derek Cain/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images

The couple also previously lived in Vancouver, Canada after stepping back from their royal duties in 2020, while Harry has hosted the Invictus Games in the country on multiple occasions throughout the competition’s 10-year history.

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