Prince Harry followed in the royal footsteps of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth on Monday night when he dropped the puck in the Vancouver Canucks’ hockey game against the San Jose Sharks.
21 years ago, the Queen, who died in September 2022, ceremonially dropped the puck herself at a game between the Canucks and the Sharks in Vancouver. The National Hockey League rolled out the red carpet for the monarch during her visit on October 6, 2002, which was part of her 11-day tour of Canada in honor of her Golden Jubilee.
Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky was present to present the Queen with the ceremonial puck. The crowd cheered as the queen, who carried her trusty black purse onto the ice, dropped the puck. She then made her way to the royal box to enjoy the first part of the game.
Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle’s visit to Canada is in honor of the next Invictus Games, which will be held in Vancouver and Whistler in 2025. Harry, a former British Army captain, founded the international adaptive sports tournament for wounded, injured and ill military personnel and veterans in 2014. .
After cycles in London (2014), Orlando (2016), Toronto (2017), Sydney (2018), the Netherlands (2022) and Germany (2023), the 2025 competition in Canada will be the first time that The Invictus Games are returning to the previous host country.
“As Invictus continues to adapt and evolve, I am extremely excited to announce that the Invictus Games Foundation has selected Canada to host the first Winter Hybrid Games in 2025,” Prince Harry said in a statement announcing the news.
Queen Elizabeth receives a ceremonial puck presented to her by former Edmonton Oilers and men’s Olympic hockey team general manager Wayne Gretzky on October 6, 2002 in Vancouver, Canada.
KIM STALLKNECHT/AFP via Getty
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“The Invictus Games Vancouver-Whistler 2025 will offer a global platform to expand the range and profile of winter adaptive sports. With deep respect, I am pleased to share with you that the Canada Games will be held in partnership with First Nations, in the spirit of truth and reconciliation with indigenous communities,” he added about the plans.
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Queen Elizabeth receives a ceremonial puck presented to her by former Edmonton Oilers and men’s Olympic hockey team general manager Wayne Gretzky on October 6, 2002 in Vancouver, Canada.
KIM STALLKNECHT/AFP via Getty
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Canada is a special place for Meghan, 42, and Harry, 39, and the Invictus Games marked an important moment in the beginning of their relationship. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex famously made their debut as a couple at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, where Meghan lived while filming Suits (which she said was “wild” to see trending on Netflix at Variety’s Power of Women gala last week) .
Not only are Vancouver and Whistler close to Harry and Meghan following their move to Montecito, California, but Vancouver is also a special place for their family. Before stepping back from their royal roles in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent their first holiday as a family of three in 2019 with son Prince Archie on Vancouver Island.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education