Meghan Markle issued awkward warning after flying home from Invictus without Prince Harry

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Meghan Markle is leaving Prince Harry alone at the Invictus Games in Canada for the rest of the tournament as she heads back to California – and one PR expert has revealed why he believes this is a good idea

Meghan Markle has been issued a stark warning about her involvement in the Invictus Games by a PR expert.

The Duchess of Sussex has spent five days at the 2025 Games in Canada alongside her husband and the tournament’s founder Prince Harry. The pair put on a loved-up display, smooching in the stands during the opening ceremony.

Meghan has also been using her newly launched Instagram account to document her time at the event, with a string of Instagram stories showing her meeting the children of competitors and screaming as she took part in tubing on the snow-covered ski runs in Whistler.

However, it emerged that despite several more days of competition to go, Meghan is heading home to California and her children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Aides kept her travel plans under wraps for security reasons, but it is understood it had always been planned she would leave the event early. Harry is expected to stay at the Games until after the closing ceremony this Sunday.

The Games have come after a tough time for the Sussexes, who were branded ‘disaster tourists’ in the wake of visiting victims of California wildfires. They were also the subject of a scathing Vanity Fair article about what it is really like to work for them.

And according to PR expert Edward Coram James, the CEO of Go Up, Meghan should have rethought going to the Invictus Games altogether. He told the Mirror : “Meghan should leave the Invictus Games to Harry. It’s his project, and he’s more than capable of drumming up support and publicity for this incredible cause. Their joint brand has become tainted over the years — not through any fault of their own, but due to woeful PR.

“Meghan’s presence was always going to be a lose-lose situation — damned if she did, damned if she didn’t. But 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 recognise that no matter what she does, her critics will say she’s making it about herself.”

Meghan has used her new Instagram account during the Games to her advantage – and Ed believes this has been one positive for the Duchess, He added: “Meghan is a woman blessed with many things — fame, influence, a platform — but for a long time, autonomy wasn’t one of them.

“It looks like she’s out to reclaim that autonomy, one Instagram Story at a time. Even her handle says a lot. Literally just ‘Meghan’ — clean, simple, powerful. No “MeghanDuchessOfSussex.” No fluff. How she managed to snag that coveted handle, who knows, but it’s a statement in itself.

“Also, the choice to post Instagram Stories seems very strategic because stories obviously disappear in 24 hours, making them feel real and spontaneous. This makes her seem more relatable, less ‘polished royal exile,’ and more in tune with her modern audience.”

The Invictus Games runs until Sunday with a huge closing ceremony featuring performances by Jelly Roll and the Barenaked Ladies. Harry will remain in Canada for the duration of the Games, where he is expected to give a speech as it comes to a close. Harry, a former British Army captain, launched the Invictus Games in 2014 as an international sports tournament for injured service personnel and veterans.