Toronto fell in love with Prince Harry at the Invictus Games
Toronto is smitten with Prince Harry. His visit to the city for the Invictus Games showed off a side of the royal that captured the hearts everyone following along thanks to his openness and warmth, which was surprising and downright delightful.
When he arrived just before the start of the 2017 Invictus Games, he stepped out of his SUV and his lurking security detail left people wondering if his presence would be more than a formality.
Fans greeted him at the Royal York Hotel, where he was staying, and he immediately set out to met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and First Lady Melania Trump, the latter of whom was serving as the US representative for the games.
But it quickly became apparent that Harry was more open than is typical of other public figures. He embraced the city wholeheartedly in a show of kindness and accessibility rarely seen by visiting officials.
Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games in an effort bring together ill and injured service people to compete in the adaptive sports, and his dedication to the event became apparent by the time he spent with athletes and attending events.
When he wasn't doing that, he toured around the city, popping up everywhere from the CN Tower to CAMH, seemingly never shying away from signing autographs or taking pictures with fans.
He even found time to take some pictures for himself.
This year marked the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana's death. Harry has actively continued his mother's legacy of charity and public service and elements of her caring nature are clearly embodied by Harry.
He even let his private life finally become public when he showed off girlfriend Meghan Markle to the world for the first time.
Since the games began three years ago, they've attracted a number of notable supporters. But perhaps the most notable of those is former US President Barack Obama, who dropped by to hang out with Harry and old pal Joe Biden.
He even made an appearance at the star-studded Toronto WE Day event to discuss the immense power young people have to make meaningful change in this world.
"We are stronger when we work together," he said. "We are happier when we work in the service of others. We succeed when we have purpose in our lives."
Finally, he helped close out the games by sharing a moment with Bruce Springsteen on stage at the closing ceremonies.
Harry made Toronto his own during his stay, and I'm sure more than a few people can't wait for his next visit.
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