Prince Harry to launch Invictus Games tomorrow and 'reflect on how special Canada is to him and his wife Meghan'

Prince Harry will talk about how special Canada is to him and his wife Meghan tomorrow when he launches the Invictus Games in Vancouver.

Harry will tell the audience about his fond memories of their time spent in the country as the couple attended Vancouver Whistler 2025's One Year to Go celebrations later this week, according to The Telegraph.

The event, which takes place between Wednesday and Friday, aims to raise awareness of the 2025 Invictus Games, which will take place between February 8 and 16 next year.

Harry and Meghan are said to have enjoyed their time on Vancouver Island, where they went after leaving their royal duties in 2019.

The Duke has previously spoken about how Canada felt like home to him and that “we could imagine spending the rest of our lives there.” It is also said that Meghan has a great affection for Canada, having lived in Toronto during the filming of 'Suits'.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex walks onto the ice before the Vancouver Canucks take on the San Jose Sharks in an NHL game at Rogers Arena on November 20, 2023

The Duchess of Sussex at the IG25 and Team Canada reception at the Hilton Hotel during the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany on September 15, 2023

Harry and Meghan have been staying on Vancouver Island in a £14 million home in North Saanich, British Columbia, following their decision to step back as working members of the royal family.

The split was called Megxit and the couple spent several months in Canada before moving to Montecito, California before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Harry also wrote in his memoir Spare that Vancouver offered him a “taste of freedom,” which inspired a more permanent escape from public life.

He wrote, “What if life could be like this… all the time? What if we could spend at least part of each year somewhere far away, still in front of the Queen, but out of reach of the press?'

“If we could just find a place the press didn't know about, we said, maybe Canada would be the solution. Meg contacted a friend from Vancouver, who connected us to a real estate agent, and we started looking at houses.”

Ahead of next year's games, the governments of Canada and British Columbia have pledged to spend almost £20 million to host the games in February 2025.

And for the first time, adaptive winter sports such as alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and curling will be included in the program of week-long events hosted in the seaside town of Whistler.

Officials have said local indigenous people are being consulted on the planning of the games.

Harry and Meghan attend the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 at the Merkur Spiel-Arena on September 16, 2023

During their stay in Vancouver, Harry and Meghana are also expected to visit the Invictus training camp in the Whistler ski resort.

Their trip comes amid claims that the appointment of TV executive Scott Moore as the new CEO of Invictus will help them pursue a major new broadcast deal.

Moore replaces the Duke of Sussex's friend and former aide Nick Booth, who took over on a temporary basis last year amid chaos at the top when two bosses were abruptly sacked in the autumn.

He has a reputation for major sports TV deals and overseeing coverage of numerous Olympic and Paralympic Games, the FIFA World Cup and the Commonwealth Games, while bossing CBC, Canada's public broadcaster.

Experts have said his appointment is a big indication that Harry and Meghan will use their star power and his connections to land a major broadcast deal for Invictus 2025, which will feature winter sports for the first time – likely with Netflix first. refusal.

Invictus Düsseldorf had its ceremonies and sports streamed via its website last September. The BBC also showed events via the Red Button and iPlayer, but this was not widely shown on German TV.

Brand and culture expert Nick Ede told MailOnline: 'Harry's latest move in hiring Scott Moore shows he is one step closer to launching the Games with a major TV deal.

Prince Harry has made a TV executive with 40 years of experience, Scott Moore (pictured), the new CEO of the Invictus Games in 2025

The Duke of Sussex with Nick Booth as he headed The Royal Foundation with Harry and William, a former royal aide to him and his brother. Mr. Booth led Invictus 2025 in Vancouver-Whistler for a few months after the last CEO abruptly left

'We have seen in recent times how Amazon, Netflix and now Disney have secured the rights to major sporting event TV and they know there is money and also subscriptions up for grabs with the right sports.

'Now that the Invictus Games has expanded to host a winter event, it is starting to overshadow both the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games and could become a major televised event with the likes of Scott behind it.

'Harry and Meghan have the star power to helm the games and as we know this is Harry's favorite place and something he is clearly passionate about.

“The documentary he made for Netflix wasn't the hit they were hoping for, but it did what was necessary to inform and educate people about the games, their purpose and also their importance.”

But if Harry pushes for a more global audience and broader coverage in North America, Netflix will be at the front of the queue, while Disney is also expected to make a bid and the couple will hope the new CEO's influence could help them help after their Invictus documentary was released. considered a flop.

Moore's appointment came after CEO Peter Lawless and Chief Commercial Office Bill Cooper abruptly left in the fall.

Insiders told MailOnline that they had both been fired 'without reason' and warned that while Scott is a 'star hire', there are concerns over the management of the Games with just 12 months to go.