Prince Harry and Megan Markle are expected to attend the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver and Whistler — but not everyone is excited about it.
The Duke of Sussex announced Friday (April 22) that the two B.C. municipalities won the bid to host the eight-day international sports competition for wounded and ill military veterans in February 2025.
The games will feature alpine skiing, nordic skiing, skeleton and wheelchair curling as well as swimming, indoor rowing, sitting volleyball, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair basketball.
Over 500 athletes from more than 20 nations are expected to compete.
But many aren't welcoming the news, citing the cost Canadian taxpayers paid for the couple's security when they visited the country, among several other issues.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle expected to attend 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver
A Change.org campaign was launched Sunday that calls for the couple to "stop exploiting Indigenous atrocities" and notes that they never released a formal statement about reconciliation.
"Harry and Meghan never thanked the Canadian taxpayers who paid for their security the last time they were in Canada. They don’t deserve our [hard-earned] taxpayer money, nor do they deserve to exploit the hurt suffered by the recent finding of unmarked graves," reads the campaign.
"This is just another bandwagon for them to jump on."
As of this writing, the campaign had earned 272 signatures.
On Twitter, several locals have expressed frustration and outrage that the couple could visit Canada again. Many of them mention that they might be using the games to drum up publicity for themselves.
Same here. I DO NOT want to see him back here in Canada for one, and much less exploiting the issue of residential schools in this country. He’s not Canadian, and should stay out of any foreign country’s affairs. Let him deal with the atrocities committed in the US, his new home
— Alexandra….just because I said so…. (@Alexand10981787) April 24, 2022
Oh yes. They are capitalising on division and unrest, it being a commonwealth country etc.
— mrc 🦇 (@brigantia__) April 24, 2022
Their speeches and comments in the last week or so show this, there's always a knife twist somewhere
Things may be very 'different' by then though 😶
That is the first thing I thought. Another excuse to whip up anti-monarchy sentiment when it has nothing to do with them. And to use us Canadians for media attention.
— Canuckabroad (@Canuckabroad3) April 25, 2022
OMG they are coming here to Canada. Can we prevent this? Why does Invictus not wake up? The veterans are being sidelined by a guy whose only war wound was probably a hangnail.
— janetjlacobs - mask-wearing, triple-vaxed CANADIAN (@janetjlacobs) April 25, 2022
True Patriot Love, a Canadian foundation that supports military members, veterans and their families, will work with local governments and First Nations, the provincial government and the federal government to host the 2025 games.
With files from the Canadian Press.
