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They walked to their seats hand in hand for their first public appearance together in Europe since quitting as senior working royals more than two years ago.

Their appearance at The Hague’s Zuiderpark came after a visit with the Queen and the Prince of Wales in Windsor on Thursday, having flown in from their home in California.

The pair were absent from the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial service in London last month in a row with the Home Office over personal security.

Meghan, 40, took to the stage first to huge applause as she addressed the more than 500 competitors from 20 nations and their families.

She said: “We are so grateful to the Netherlands for welcoming us and for hosting the Invictus Games.

“For each team, my husband and I both recognise it’s been a lot to get here, both physically and emotionally. Not least of which for the Ukraine team, who we are all standing with.”

Introducing her “incredible husband”, who founded the Games in 2014, Meghan said she “could not love and respect him more”.

“He has also spent many late nights and early mornings planning for these games to make them as perfect as possible for each of you,” she said.

“I could not love and respect him more and I know that all of you feel the same because he is your fellow veteran, having served two tours of duty in Afghanistan and 10 years of military service.

“He’s the founder of the Invictus Games, and the father to our two little ones, Archie and Lili. Please welcome my incredible husband, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex.”

After wiping away a tear Harry, 37, paid tribute to the “boundless humility, the compassion and the friendship” of the Invictus Games.

He echoed his wife’s sentiment in paying tribute to the “bravery” of Team Ukraine for coming to the games, which had walked into stadium to a standing ovation.

The team, which was granted special permission to compete by President Volodymyr Zelen-sky, waved to the cheering crowds while the band’s cover of Euphoria by Loreen blasted out.

Harry told them: “Your bravery in choosing to come and for being here tonight cannot be overstated.”

“You told me yesterday, when you decided to join us despite all odds, you said you came to be on this global stage, not simply to show your strength but to tell your truth, the truth, of what is happening in your country.

“You know we stand with you. The world is united with you and still you deserve more.

“And my hope is that these events, this event, creates the opportunity in how we as a global community can better show up for you.”

Harry also told the crowd about his conversations with son Archie, two, about what he wants to be when he grows up.

The Duke said: “To be role models, or the role models that each of you are, takes strength and it takes courage.

“When I talk to my son Archie about what he wants to be when he grows up, some days it’s an astronaut, other days it’s a pilot – a helicopter pilot obviously. Or Kwazii from Octonauts. If you’re laughing then you’ve seen that.

“But what I remind him is that no matter what you want to be when you grow up, it’s your character that matters most, and nothing would make his mum and me prouder than to see him have the character of what we see before us today.”

The Duke and Duchess, who are being followed by a film crew for a Netflix documentary called Heart of Invictus, arrived at the Zuiderpark around lunchtime looking relaxed as they chatted to competitors.

Meghan opted for a casual designer look that included a £2,400 black double-breasted jacket from Celine with golden buttons and three-quarter-length jeans costing £266 from Japanese brand Moussy Vintage.

The mother-of-two slicked her hair back into a ponytail and shielded her eyes from the sun in £360 metal sunglasses, also from Celine.

The couple held hands and hugged as they walked around.

They were then taken for a spin by a couple of young drivers in mini Land Rovers at the stadium where the games will take place until Friday.

Meghan was driven around by five-year-old French girl Mya Poirot, while Harry was driven by four-year-old Dutch girl Scarlet Vroegop.

The opening ceremony included a live performance from rock band Kaiser Chiefs.

The crowd was told an empty yellow chair would be left at each sporting venue to salute servicemen and women who had died serving their country.

COMMENT BY MARGARET HOLDER

HARRY and Meghan’s goodwill visit to the Queen must have been a rare moment of happiness for the monarch who is 96 on Thursday – an early Easter and birthday gift rolled into one.

While Her Majesty struggles with sad memories a year after Prince Philip’s death, the loss of several old friends, and her own increasing frailty, the short meeting with her grandson and his wife will have lifted her spirits.

The Queen will never pull up the drawbridge on Harry, no matter how saddened she might feel over his and Meghan’s allegations in last year’s Oprah Winfrey interview. The Queen is a model of fortitude and forgiveness.

However, her outlook does not reflect the attitudes of some other royals who were hurt by the Sussexes’ accusations.

Until their visit to Windsor Castle, Harry and Meghan’s only known link with the wider family was through his cousin Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, who visited them in Los Angeles in February.

Thursday’s visit marks a moment when a more hopeful alliance might be possible with the prince and his wife who left as senior royals for life in America.

Charles had a brief meeting with Harry and Meghan. That would have been difficult considering Harry’s claim that Charles cut him off financially.

Sadly, neither Charles nor the Queen have met the Sussexes’ daughter Lilibet or seen son Archie since he was a baby.

One notable absentee from Thursday’s meeting was Prince William, on holiday with his family skiing in Courchevel.

The brothers’ feud shows no sign of thawing, despite their
brief encounters last year at Prince Philip’s funeral and the unveiling of the statue of their mother Princess Diana.

The Queen may hope Charles and Harry build on their meeting, although a reunification is realistically a long way off.

But the Queen’s exemplar of tolerance and conciliation may show a better way for them all.

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