A grinning Prince Harry has set out on the next leg of his Asia trip after a two-day trip to Japan, while his wife celebrated with friends who saw Taylor Swift in LA.
The Duke of Sussex travels to Singapore where he will take part in a polo match in aid of Sentebale, his charity which supports children and young people in Lesotho in southern Africa.
Harry is with his best friend, polo player Nacho Figueras, but not with Meghan or their two children, Archie, four, and Lilibet, two.
The girlfriends appeared to be having a blast as they boarded a flight in Tokyo’s Narita after playfully posing with women’s sunglasses. Nacho posted on Instagram that they are “shopping for our wives” – some fans have described them as “real brothers” amid the Duke’s strained relationship with Prince William.
Harry and Nacho were at an Itoya Top Drawer branch in downtown Tokyo and tried on a pair of Kolo glasses, which retail for $175 (£137).
The store specializes in merchandise that “makes travel easy” and prides itself on its “stylish sustainability.” As one commenter on the Instagram post put it, “Happy women, happy lives!”
Meanwhile, Meghan could be spotted enjoying a girls’ night out and watching the final night of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Los Angeles, though the megastar reportedly turned down an appearance on royal podcast Archetypes, which ended after one season.
The Duchess and thousands of other Swifties reportedly jumped out of their chair to sing along “You Belong with Me” after the singer told the crowd, “Let’s go back to high school.” The former actress was with her British friend Lucy Fraser, who starred in the Sussexes’ Netflix explainer series.
A smiling Prince Harry departs Tokyo today for Singapore as his Asia tour continues
Harry’s next assignment is a polo match in Singapore this Saturday to raise funds for young AIDS sufferers.
Harry and Nacho had fun in Japan and attended a panel discussion at the International Sports Promotion Society
Prince Harry and Nacho Figueras took time out to shop for their families in Tokyo today while posing with aviator sunglasses
In a post on Instagram, Nacho Figueras wrote, “Shopping for our wives.” A big thank you to Tokyo for their generous hospitality and kindness to us. And of course for your continued support of Sentebale!’
Meghan Markle (right) is believed to have attended a Taylor Swift concert with her friend Lucy Fraser (centre). Page Six claimed she got up from her chair and danced
The Duchess of Sussex is believed to have been in the crowd at Taylor Swift’s concert in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Pictured: Taylor Swift performs in LA on Monday
Meghan was at SoFi Stadium with her British best friend Lucy Fraser while the Duke was speaking at events in Japan across the Pacific, Page Six reports.
The 38-year-old prince landed in Japan on Tuesday, where he received a warm welcome and later told an audience he would “live happily here if you had me”.
The duke, who praised the “warmth, compassion and generosity” of the Japanese people, made the comments during the summit organized by the International Sports Promotion Society (ISPS) on Wednesday.
Harry and Nacho spoke at the summit about their charity, Sentebale, which helps children and young people in southern Africa affected by HIV and AIDS.
And this morning they seemed to have traded work for pleasure as they went shopping for their families in Tokyo.
The couple posed in aviator sunglasses for a photo with the caption, “Shopping for our wives.” A big thank you to Tokyo for their generous hospitality and kindness to us. And of course for your continued support of Sentebale!’
Arriving at the summit in Tokyo, Harry was greeted with thunderous applause after saying, “Well, first of all, hello everyone.”
The beaming 38-year-old son of King Charles III. told the crowd, “I’ve been involved with many charities most of my life and it gives me enormous satisfaction to give back to as many people as possible.” “My life is charity, always has been and always will be.”
Prince Harry speaks with ISPS Handa founder Haruhisa Handa (centre) in Tokyo on Tuesday, alongside former New Zealand rugby player Dan Carter (left) and Argentine polo player Nacho Figueras (right).
Haruhisa Handa, founder of ISPS Handa, and Prince Harry laugh during a chat in Tokyo on Tuesday
Harry said he “enjoyed the most incredible Kobe steak, both for dinner last night and for lunch today,” adding, “Your warmth, your compassion, your generosity, every single element of Japanese culture is truly unique and very, very special.”
“I noticed it on my first visit four years ago when I came to the Rugby World Cup. And I’d love to live here if you had me. Thanks for your hospitality. “I really enjoyed being back in Japan and I look forward to my next visit.”
He also said that “the power of sport … brings people together and connects and, as you heard from my friend Steve (Royal Australian Navy veteran and Invictus Games gold winner Steve James), actually has the ability to heal people.” as well as.’
This comes after friends of the Sussexes slammed claims of “tension” in the marriage amid speculation about their future in Hollywood and rumors of behind-the-scenes tension.
There are signs the royal family is trying to “distance” from the duke and duchess, according to a royal expert.
The couple’s bios have been moved down the home page so they now appear at the bottom alongside the Duke of Kent and Prince Andrew.
Meanwhile, Harry’s stylization as His Royal Highness has been quietly removed from the site.
Under the terms of the 2020 Megxit agreement, the palace said Harry and Meghan Markle could keep their HRH titles but would be barred from wielding them as senior royals once they step down.
Still, parts of the royal website appear to have been incorrectly referring to Harry as HRH for the past three years. After a series of updates on Friday, there is no longer any reference to the Duke as His Royal Highness.
Royal author Richard Fitzwilliams told Web: “There have been several changes on the royal website and the Sussexes now appear under the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Princess Alexandra.”
“This clearly demonstrates the royal family’s distancing themselves from a couple they must regard as unpredictable and unreliable for obvious reasons.”
The couple’s bios have been moved down the home page so they now appear at the bottom alongside the Duke of Kent and Prince Andrew
Before: The Duchess’ career part, which referred to her as “Her Royal Highness” and said she uses The Tig “as a platform to discuss social issues”
Meghan’s career section thereafter, with details of “The Tig” abridged and mention removed of her move to Toronto, Canada during “Suits” while being referred to as “she” or “Duchess”.
Although Meghan’s HRH title was removed from her official bio three years ago following her Megxit departure for Los Angeles, it remains in some sections of the site, including a quote from a 2019 speech (in a screenshot on Wednesday pictured).
Mr Fitzwilliams suggested the changes provide new evidence that the Sussexes need to prove they can thrive outside of the royal family.
“Harry and Meghan were known to be extremely embittered at being forced to step down as senior members of the royal family and although they retained their titles they were no longer able to use them and had also lost their patronage.” he said.
“However, their brand is currently inseparable from royal tradition.” The challenge for them is to prove that they are actually creative in doing something for themselves.”
Meghan Markle’s Official Royal Biography stripped her of her HRH title three years ago. However, it persisted in some sections of the royal website, including a quote from a 2019 speech.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said the website had been updated regularly following the death of the late Queen Elizabeth II and that outdated information had now been amended.
“The Royal Family website contains over five thousand pages of information about the life and work of the Royal Family.
“Following the death of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the content has been regularly reviewed and updated. Some content may be out of date until this process is complete.’