Revealed: Reason 'Desperate' Meghan Markle Left Prince Harry Early at Invictus Games as She 'Rushed Home to Avoid Another PR Disaster'
Sources claimed Meghan Markle left the Invictus Games early to avoid another 'PR disaster.'
Feb. 17 2025, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
RadarOnline.com can reveal the reason Meghan Markle abruptly left husband Prince Harry alone at the Invictus Games in Vancouver, Canada, last week.
While Markle was on hand to support her husband at the Invictus Games, which he founded in 2014 as a way to support injured and wounded veterans, the Duchess of Sussex left the week-long event after just five days.
Markle was said to have left the Invictus Games early to get back home to her kids in California.
Although the official reason given for Markle's early departure was that she was eager to return home to the couple's two children – Archie, five, and Lilbet, three – in California, insiders claimed her early-departure was actually to avoid another PR disaster.
Days before Markle arrived in Canada, the 43-year-old posted a video on Instagram in which she spoke about meeting a family who lost their home and all of their belongings in the recent Los Angeles wildfires. Markle explained the family's teenage daughter was a Billie Eilish fan who was distraught over losing a prized t-shirt from the singer's recent tour.
Markle then showed off a stack of shirts and signed album from Eilish as she noted how excited she was to give the gift to the young girl – and then named dropped Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo, whom she thanked for helping connect her to the Birds of a Feather singer.
Markle named dropped celebrities as she showed off the stack of signed merchandise for the young wildfire victim.
The video followed Markle and Harry being dubbed "disaster tourists" after they brought a camera crew with them while visiting with wildfire victims – and "tramping around" devastated homes before residents were allowed to survey the damage for themselves.
Despite her seemingly sweet gesture, the video sparked further backlash for the couple, as social media users and online critics claimed Markle was using the fire victim for self-promotion.
While comments on Markle's post were eventually disabled, it was not before users made it clear what they thought of the stunt.
Markle was branded a 'disaster tourist' after she was spotted with a camera crew visiting wildfire victims.
One X user wrote: "Meghan Markle making it all about herself. Someone's lost their home and she is gushing about how amazing she is for getting them some signed merch. The disaster tourism has now turned into disaster merching."
Another chimed in: "She's an egocentric, egotistical, self-absorbed, self-indulgent, self, narcissistic woman – makes everything come back around to me."
A source claimed Markle was taken back by backlash over her post and was left reeling over what she assumed would be seen as good deed.
Sources claimed Markle was 'so stunned' by backlash she almost skipped the Invictus Games altogether.
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The insider said: "Meghan was so stunned by the immediate backlash to her video that she almost didn't go to Canada.
"She feels like everything she does turns to s--- these days and she's very bitter about it.
"She's been known to rant that it's her various minders' and publicists' fault, but she's gone through so many of them at this point that surely it must be dawning on her that the problem may lie with her."
