Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been celebrating all of the Invictus athletes over the past few days, and they marked the end of Games with a spectacular closing ceremony which was attended by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
For the big night, Meghan looked radiant in a stunning teal Raylene gown from Cult Gaia, which retails at £830. The mother-of-two completed her look with her hair in a chic bun, a pair of heels from Aquazzura and her Kimai hoop earrings.
Meanwhile, Harry looked dapper in a black suit. The Duke and Duchess were pictured in great spirits, applauding competitors as they walked out for the closing ceremony, waving flags and joining in with music that represented their country. Meghan was even spotted blowing kisses out as a mark of support.
At the service, Harry and Meghan sat next to Dominic Reid, the CEO of the Invictus Games, and who was responsible for the delivery of the inaugural event, which was held in London in 2014, and Elke Budenbender, who is the First Lady of Germany.
Harry has been joined by other friends during the Games including Nicky Scott, his childhood friend from Eton, with the pair first meeting when he was 13. Close photographer friend Misan Harriman has also been in Germany, alongside Johnny Mercer MP, who is the minister for Veteran’s Affairs.
During the ceremony, the athletes were cheered on by the crowds, alongside Meghan and Harry. There were also performances from Sam Ryder and Rita Ora, and Sam seems to have found a new fan in the Duchess of Sussex as he high-fived members of the crowd.
For her trip to Dusseldorf, Meghan made a surprise decision as she chose to go without her entourage of stylists, hairdressers and makeup artists like most royals do while on tour.
According to the Duchess of Sussex’s press team following her arrival, Meghan had less than an hour to transform her look. “She did her own hair and makeup and will do her own the entire trip,” they added at the time.
We have loved all of Meghan’s looks throughout the Invictus Games and for the final day, she certainly dialed up the glam not just with this final look, but also with her stunning daytime ensemble.
Attending the swimming medal ceremony during the final day, Meghan looked effortlessly chic in a Cuyana silk trench coat, teamed with a pair of cropped trousers, also from the brand, which tied in at the waist with a belt.
The 42-year-old rounded off the look with a pair of Aquazzura heeled pumps and a pair of gold chunky hoop earrings, styling her hair in voluminous waves. As for her makeup, Meghan opted for a rosy blush, a stroke of black mascara and a matte pink lip to complete the look.
One of our favourites looks saw the Duchess of Sussex reign supreme in a dreamy fawn-hued blouse from Lagence with camel-toned trousers from Gabriela Hearst. The mother-of-two looked incredible in the sophisticated getup, which she paired with Manolo Blahnik heeled pumps and Hollywood-worthy Miu Miu ‘Artiste’ sunglasses.
During her appearance at the Games, Meghan has been getting in touch with her Nigerian heritage, with Harry joking during the Opening Ceremony that she might have some “favourites”.
She made sure to meet with members of the Nigerian team during the Games, where she was bestowed the nickname: Amira Ngozi Lolo. Amira is a warrior princess from a legend, Ngozi means ‘blessed’ and Lolo is ‘royal wife’.
Harry gave an emotional speech for the closing ceremony dedicated to all the veterans who competed, and he also referenced his life as a royal. “Some of you may know what bagpipes mean to me, so I couldn’t help but hope they’d be played!” he said in the speech.
Harry went on to say that the instrument had a particularly poignant connection for the Master Corporal who picked them up, as he shared: “Little did I know that thirty minutes later, it would be James picking them up and offering to play – yet I had NO idea what they meant to him. Nor did I know what memories they triggered for him. In Afghanistan, he played 63 ramp ceremonies. For 63 caskets. For 63 souls. For 63 families.”
