Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were back to rubbing shoulders with celebrity pals as they posed with Rita Ora and Sam Ryder during the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf last night.
The Duchess of Sussex, 42, and the Duke,3 9, posed for a snap with the singers, who both performed at the closing ceremony in Germany on Saturday. .
Meghan looked typically chic in a £830 Cult Gaia dress which she paired with nude stilettos from Aquazzurra.
Meanwhile, Harry looked dapper in a black suit and matching black shirt which he paired with smart shoes.
The pair often schmooze with celebrities near their home in Montecito, California, so Saturday was no exception.
Meghan and Prince Harry appeared in great spirits as they rub shoulders with celebrity pals Rita Ora and Sam ryder (right) at the Invictus Games
Prince Harry, who served in the British Army for 10 years and served two tours in Afghanistan, created the Paralympics-style competition for injured, sick and wounded service personnel and veterans, with the first event taking place in 2014.
Rita wowed in a glamorous gown as she posed with the royal couple backstage before taking to the stage to perform six of her hit songs.
The singer put on a very energetic performance as she showcased her impressive vocals and ran about the stage entertaining the crowd.
Rita wore some sheer criss-cross tights that showcased her slender pins and added a matching long sleeve jacket over the top.
The royal couple are used to rubbing shoulder with A-list celebrities as they have been close for years to the likes of Serena Williams and Misha Nonoo, they have also more recently got to know Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey.
Others in the Sussexes’s trusted inner circle include Gayle King, Misan Harriman and Sophie Trudeau as well as Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank.
Tyler Perry has become one of Harry and Meghan’s closest friends since they moved to California – but they first had contact before their wedding in 2018.
Meghan revealed in the Sussexes’ Netflix documentary that Perry sent her a letter expressing his sympathy over how she was estranged from her father Thomas.
The Duchess of Sussex , 42, and the Duke,39, beamed at the closing ceremony in Düsseldorf, Germany on Saturday
Rita put on a very energetic performance as she showcased her impressive vocals and ran about the stage entertaining the crowd
She said in the programme: ‘I’d never met him before. He said he was praying for me, and if I ever need anything, he would be there.’
Perry then invited Meghan and Harry in 2020 to move into his 18-bedroom home in Los Angeles worth £16million – without even having met them.
The couple spent six weeks there before later moving into their first home together, the £12million mansion in Montecito where they live now.
The trio have since become good friends, and Perry is now Lilibet’s godfather –but told the Netflix documentary that he did so on the insistence that he would not be involved in any royal ceremony at a church in Britain.
Perhaps Meghan and Harry’s most famous friend is Oprah Winfrey, who conducted the bombshell interview with the couple in 2021 that caused a huge fallout over a series of allegations including racism and bullying.
Meghan and Harry are no strangers to posing with celebrities. Kerry Washington, Kelly Rowland and Meghan Markle at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles earlier this month
Harry recently went to see LAFC and was pictured with Rob McElhenney
Meghan is also a Beyonce fan and has posed with the music legend
Meghan is also good friends with Serena Williams and has shared pictures with her
Later reflecting on the interview on CBS in September last year, Oprah – who is a close neighbour of the couple in Montecito – claimed that she ‘didn’t set out to do a bombshell interview’.
She added: ‘I was as surprised by the bombshell as everybody else. I was doing an interview to offer them a platform, to tell their story about why they left.’
In March this year, Oprah said the couple had not consulted her on whether to attend the King’s Coronation – which led to some claims on Twitter that she was distancing herself from them.
But there is no suggestion that they have had any falling out, and she has always been very respectful of the Sussexes in interviews.
Meghan’s bond with Serena Williams dates back to 2010 and is one of the longest friendships the Duchess has had with a major celebrity.
They first met at the Super Bowl that year, and then again at the event in 2014 in New York.
Meghan then started watching Williams in tennis tournaments, including the US Open in 2014 and the Australian Open in 2015.
Williams recalled to Vanity Fair in 2017 that after Meghan started dating Harry, she told her: ‘You’ve got to be who you are, Meghan. You can’t hide.’
The tennis star and her husband Alexis Ohanian attended Harry and Meghan’s wedding in May 2018 – and then Meghan watched Williams at Wimbledon in June that year, alongside Kate in the Royal Box. They did so again in July 2019.
They also have those with whom there have been alleged feuds, including Jessica Mulroney and Tom Inskip – while others such as Lizzie Cundy, Ninaki Priddy and Millie Mackintosh have openly spoken about the relationship breaking down.
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