The world may have only just learned of Meghan Markle’s pregnancy, but Prince Harry’s already proving to be a protective dad.
While watching a sailing event on Sydney Harbor on Sunday during the first official day of the Invictus Games, the royal father-to-be received an bear hug from an American sailor that was so intense it lifted the royal off of his feet and threw him into protective mode.
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Hugs all round from Team USA following the @InvictusSydney Elliot 7 Team final! 🇺🇸 #IG2018 pic.twitter.com/qIc7PimyFd
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) October 21, 2018
“Now that’s a hug! Nicely done,” Meghan, who is due in the spring, said before introducing herself to the athlete.
Prince Harry however, was quick to advise the sailor to be much more timid with his embrace with the Duchess.
“No, I know,” the man said.
The outing came as part of the couple’s first international tour together as newlyweds, a 16-day trip that will take them to Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, and Fiji, and one that they left for the day before Kensington Palace announced that they were expecting their first child together.
Although it was initially reported that the Duchess of Sussex did not plan to make any changes to her schedule given that she is pregnant, it was later announced that the couple had decided it best to cut back Meghan’s schedule.
“After a busy programme, The Duke and Duchess Of Sussex have decided to cut back The Duchess’s schedule slightly for the next couple of days, ahead of the final week and a half of the tour,” a senior Palace source told the Daily Mirror.
A second source added that Markle was “resting back at home, being pregnant takes its toll,” though they added that she was not feeling sick.
Prince Harry’s schedule was not impacted, and he attended an Invictus Games road race at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney solo on Saturday, where he gave an opening ceremony speech at the Sydney Opera House.
“First of all, thank you for the welcome you have given Meghan and I over the last few days,” he said. “I have been so proud to be able to introduce my wife to you, and we have been so happy to be able to celebrate the personal joy of our newest addition with you all. Our Invictus family has turned these games into a symbol of strength, honor and optimism for a new generation.”
Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games in 2014 as an international competition for wounded veterans and current members of militaries. The Paralympic-style competition includes wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, indoor rowing, among others.
