Soho House mogul Markus Anderson – dubbed ‘the second most important man in Meghan’s life’ – joins the Duchess and Harry at the Vancouver Canucks game – 4 years after arranging secret dates for the couple

Meghan Markle was joined by her longtime friend and confidant Markus Anderson as she and Prince Harry cheered on the Vancouver Canucks from a VIP box at Rogers Arena on Monday.

Markus, 43, also known as ‘Mr Soho House’, is often referred to as the ‘second most important man’ in Meghan’s life – and was instrumental in bringing Harry and Meghan together.

In the early days of the royal couple’s courtship, Markus was often pictured at Meghan’s side, often dressed in a smart suit or trendy ensemble.

But yesterday he opted for a green wool jacket and jeans for a decidedly more casual look as he watched the hockey next to Meghan.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Canada to promote the next Invictus Games, to be held in Vancouver and Whistler in February 2025.

So perhaps it’s fitting that Markus joined them, as he was by Meghan’s side during her first public appearance with Harry at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto.

He was her ‘bouncer’ as the global media crowded outside a New York hotel as she hosted her £350,000 baby shower; and in a website post to him, she once wrote, “What would I do without you, my loving, supportive, and endlessly fun friend… I love you SO much.”]

Debonair, charming and impeccably connected, Markus is so close to Meghan that she refers to him as the uncle of her beloved dogs.

Anderson is from Peterborough, Ontario, a city 140 kilometers northeast of Toronto.

At 18, he cut his ties with the small town and headed to London, where he got a job as a waiter at A-list members club Soho House.

He quickly caught the attention of well-connected founder Nick Jones and rose through the ranks in London, where he developed his own network of celebrity friends and fixers.

Jones soon sent him back to Canada to set up Soho House in Toronto – and in 2011, Anderson met Meghan when she arrived there from Los Angeles to film the first series of her TV legal drama Suits.

A Soho House source previously told the Daily Mail: ‘Long before Prince Harry came onto the scene, Markus was introducing Meghan to all kinds of rich and powerful people.’

Anderson introduced Meghan to George and Amal Clooney and also to Jessica Mulroney – daughter-in-law of ex-Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Jessica became her best friend, although the pair are believed to have grown apart.

Meghan is said to call Anderson ‘uncle’ to her two dogs Guy and Bogart and was photographed with him on holiday in Madrid.

At the time, Meghan was still with her first husband, film producer Trevor Engelson, and while Engelson remained in LA, Anderson wandered her around Toronto and introduced her to local celebrities, including the man who is now Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.

Anderson was a shoulder to cry on when Meghan’s marriage fell apart in 2013. He arranged dates for her with suitable men from his extensive network of contacts. But it was after she met Prince Harry in 2016 that Anderson became an even more important part of Meghan’s life.

Although it is widely believed that Meghan and Harry first met on a blind date in London organized by designer Misha Nonoo, it was in Canada – and more specifically at Toronto’s Soho House – that their love blossomed.

Anderson arranged for the couple to meet secretly in private rooms at the club.

He did the same in London and even arranged a romantic weekend away at Babington House, a picturesque hotel in Somerset run by Soho House. When Meghan made her first public appearance with Harry at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, she chose to sit next to Anderson in the stands to watch events, and he was also photographed with Meghan’s mother Doria in a private viewing box.

Meghan was also with Anderson when he celebrated his 40th birthday.

He received Soho House’s first bespoke wine called Lady A, a fruity rosé with a butterfly bottle designed by Damien Hirst. The artist is another old Anderson friend.

In a press release, Soho House announced: ‘So why Lady A? It’s an old nickname that Nick Jones used for Markus Anderson, one of our longest-standing team members who turns 40 this year.

“Markus has been a loyal member of the team for twenty years and this rosé is a fitting tribute.”

It said: ‘The butterfly label was designed by Damien Hirst, a friend who knows Markus as a social butterfly.’

Since then, Anderson has increasingly played a role in guiding Meghan.

At Meghan’s £350,000 baby shower, she opted not to bring any Palace PRs, instead relying on her friend to deal with the media gathered outside the five-star The Mark hotel in Manhattan.

However, his influence and methods have sometimes been criticized.

The satirical magazine Private Eye reported that Anderson allowed Parisian macaron shop Laduree to ‘promote’ the fact that they had provided four £350 macaron towers for the baby shower.

The event resulted in fierce debate amid claims of excess and embarrassment for Meghan when the Laduree website boasted that the macaron towers would be something ‘Marie Antoinette would be proud of’.

Private Eye also rather unflatteringly claimed that Anderson is ‘known around the gilded halls as the Sussex Fawcett’ – a reference to Prince Charles’s former lackey, Michael Fawcett, who, it was once claimed, was so close to the future king that he always put pressure on him. toothpaste on his toothbrush.

Despite his close relationship with Meghan, Anderson maintains his showbiz connections – and is a very close friend of TV presenter Cat Deeley, who has built a successful career in the United States.

Speaking about Anderson’s role with Meghan, and his recommendation of Sara Latham as her PR, a source previously said: ‘Marcus is a lot of fun, very witty and entertaining.

‘He knows everyone. He is completely discreet. He and Sara are great people for Meghan to have on her team.

‘Together they know everyone in the world of politics and show business on both sides of the Atlantic.

“If Meghan and Harry want to become a global brand through their philanthropy, they couldn’t have chosen two better people to guide them.”

Another source said: ‘Markus is someone who can meet anyone, whether they are royalty or a receptionist, and he makes everyone feel special.

‘He is brilliantly connected, utterly charming and very discreet. I’ve tried talking to him about Meghan and all that happens is a big smile on his face.

“He is completely loyal to her – a keeper of secrets.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Canada to promote the next Invictus Games, to be held in Vancouver and Whistler in February 2025.

Their visit came a week after a whistleblower told MailOnline that the Games are in “turmoil” after two of the most senior executives were “fired for no apparent reason” with just over a year left to run.