Prince Harry and Meghan Markle headed to Canada in mid-February so that Harry’s Invictus Games Foundation could host its first-ever winter version of the event. The Invictus Games bring together sick or injured service members and offer Olympic-style competitions in a number of sports, and Meghan has always viewed it as a chance to let Harry shine.

Harry and Meghan always look forward to the event, and it gives the couple a chance to show themselves in public on their own platform. But PR experts still say it’s a “lose-lose” for the duchess.

Meghan Markle is in a ‘lose-lose’ as she leaves Invictus Games early

After spending several days in Canada with her husband, Meghan returned to California early. The reason? To be with her children. Harry and Meghan have two young kids, Prince Archie, age 5, and Princess Lilibet, age 3. Meghan and Harry don’t like to leave the kids for an extended period of time, and it seems that Meghan wanted to strike a balance — she’d be there to support her husband but leave early so as not to leave the kids alone for too many days (the children are likely watched by Meghan’s mother, Doria, and perhaps some nannies).  

Even though Meghan prefers to let Harry shine during this moment for his foundation, PR expert TK says that no matter what she does, Meghan will always be criticized by those who want to criticize her.

The CEO of Go Up, Edward Coram James, told the Mirror, “Meghan’s presence was always going to be a lose-lose situation — damned if she did, damned if she didn’t.”

James continues, “Ultimately, it’s a distraction for many people. That said, from a PR standpoint, she handled it well. She was engaged but not overbearing, affectionate but not too performative. Still, she needs to recognize that no matter what she does, her critics will say she’s making it about herself.”

Prince Harry is expected to stay in Canada until the Invictus Games are over

Harry is expected to stay for the remainder of the games, which isn’t unusual for the couple. He travels without Meghan quite often (mostly to attend court appearances in the UK, though those seem to finally be over).

Harry has continued to proudly work on The Invictus Games since he and Meghan left the family. The foundation, along with his African charity Sentebale, have been Harry’s biggest time investments in recent years. 2025 marked the first time the Invictus Games were held in winter.