Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appeared unaffected by the recent feud on Sussex.com as they appear publicly as a couple for the first time since King Charles' cancer diagnosis.
The couple are in the picturesque ski resort of Whistler in British Columbia, Canada, for a two-day program to highlight the Winter Invictus Games taking place in the city next year.
Meghan was glamorous in skinny jeans and a sweater with a beige quilted coat, while Harry was dressed casually in jeans and a black Eddie Bauer anorak as he arrived at a training session with athletes hoping to take part in the 2025 Games.
The pair were seen bending down to talk to the athletes taking part in the games, while Harry tried out one of the competitors' sit skis while a camera crew followed closely behind him.
Shortly after 2:30 p.m., Harry and Meghan exited the gondola at Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler and were introduced to three groups of adaptive skiers: an alpine sit-down skier, a stand-up skier and a group of visually impaired athletes.
Their trip to Canada comes as the couple is embroiled in a series of controversies – one over their new website Sussex.com and another over Harry's flying visit to London last week to visit King Charles following his cancer diagnosis.
Meghan and Harry will be attending the Invictus Games One Year To Go event on February 14th
Harry tried out one of the participants' sit-skis and seemed to enjoy being pushed down the slope by his instructor
Meghan smiled at a ski instructor while her husband Harry put on his sports gear
The pair were seen bending over to speak to athletes taking part in the games
Harry and Meghan were seen speaking to a group of visually impaired athletes
Meghan looked glamorous in skinny jeans and a sweater with a beige quilted coat, while Harry wore casual jeans and a black anorak from Eddie Bauer
Meghan, 42, was clearly having fun, even though the temperatures were around freezing point
The Duchess smiled as she watched Harry speak to an instructor at the resort
Meghan took out her phone to take photos of Harry
The couple arrived in Canada on Tuesday and are expected to stay until Friday before flying back to their home in California
A film crew was spotted joining the Sussexes as they arrived for a day of skiing
Alex Cairns, a sit-skier from Canada, was the first to meet the Sussexes and demonstrate the sport to them – arriving at the bottom of the slopes to cheers from Harry.
The Whistler Games will be the first time Invictus has presented winter sports.
The couple arrived in Canada on Tuesday and were photographed by as they landed in Vancouver just after noon Pacific time after a two-hour flight from Santa Barbara – the closest airport to their home in Montecito.
Her arrival came on the same day Meghan announced she had signed a new podcast deal with Lemonada Media after she and Harry parted ways with Spotify.
A convoy of cars picked up the famous duo and took them to Whistler, where they will be on Wednesday and Thursday before returning to Vancouver on Friday for an event at the City of Glass.
The couple are then expected to return to California on Friday afternoon to be reunited with their children Archie, five, and Lilibet, two.
The Duke and the Dutchwoman are currently embroiled in an ongoing dispute over their rebranded “royal” website Sussex.com – complete with Meghan's coat of arms – which critics say represents a breach of their promise to the late queen as she acrimoniously fronts her royal duties laid down the front.
Sources now say the couple have not consulted with palace officials about the use of their Sussex titles.
On Wednesday, Meghan, 42, was forced to issue a statement defending the graphic design company that created the couple's new website.
Harry was also criticized for the short time he spent in the UK following his father's cancer diagnosis.
Harry's flight to the UK began with an overnight British Airways flight from LAX, which landed in London just after 2pm on February 6.
Once there, he was taken to Clarence House for a meeting with his cancer-stricken father, which lasted only 30 minutes and was not attended by his stepmother, Queen Camilla.
The 39-year-old then spent the night in a hotel before catching a Delta flight back to LA less than 24 hours after arriving.
Last week it was claimed that Prince Harry “would have happily accepted” a reunion with his brother William but instead opted to stay at his hotel.
William, 41, is understood to be continuing to focus on caring for his wife Kate as she recovers from abdominal surgery and is taking an extended holiday from her public duties until after Easter
The couple smiled as they strolled through the snow in Canada yesterday
Meghan and Harry's appearance in Whistler comes amid controversy over the Sussexes' redesigned website
Meghan's updated bio on the website emphasized her credentials as a philanthropist, but mentioned her acting past only once and nothing about the royal family.
On Wednesday, Meghan released a statement defending the graphic design company that created the couple's new website
On the website, Harry presents his 358-word biography, in which he highlights his environmental credentials – despite his penchant for using private jets
Critics said the site was an attempt to monetize the couple's royal connections
Meghan looked glamorous in skinny jeans and a sweater with a beige quilted coat, while Harry was dressed casually in jeans and a black anorak
Harry smiled as he was helped with sit-skiing
The upcoming Games in Whistler will be the first time Invictus has presented winter sports
Arm in arm, the Sussexes were taken to the slopes
The aircraft remained in Vancouver for 39 minutes before departing again for Victoria, where it landed at 12:47 p.m
Her current visit includes two days of meeting participants at Whistler Ski Resort and another engagement in Vancouver on Friday
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in September 2023. The photo now appears on the sussex.com homepage
Harry next appeared in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Friday, where he served as a presenter at the NFL Honors Awards – a televised gala held at the massive Resorts World Hotel in Sin City.
When presenting the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award to Cameron Heyward of the Pittsburgh Steelers, he made a joke about rugby and told the crowd, “I really love how you stole rugby from us and made it your own. “
“Instead of passing it backwards, just pass it forwards.” Why not wear pads and helmets? Naturally.
“There's an offense and a defense – that makes sense.” Why not take a breather every 15 seconds? And you know what? Instead of a 10-month season, we're making it 18 weeks. Genius.'
Despite his chipper demeanor on stage, Harry was later pictured looking dejected in the hotel's underground car park and didn't stick around to watch the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night.
On Monday, the couple's redesigned website debuted with Harry's 358-word biography, highlighting his environmental credentials – despite his penchant for using private jets.
Meghan's longer biography highlighted her reputation as a philanthropist, but only mentioned her acting past once, not the royal family.
Critics said the website was an attempt to monetize the couple's royal connections, prompting a new round of calls for the duo's titles to be removed, including from Meghan's biographer Tom Bower.
The couple replaced their Archewell website with a website called Sussex.com, which contains their biographies and lists their recent activities.
Their About page states: “The office of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, is shaping the future through business and philanthropy.”
Their About page states: “The office of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, is shaping the future through business and philanthropy.”
“This includes: The Archewell Foundation, Archewell Productions, patronages, ventures and organizations that receive the couple’s support individually and/or collectively.”
The redesigned Sussex.com also made much of Harry's Invictus Games initiative, which returns next year with a snow sports edition in Whistler.
During the trip, the pair will meet competitors from the US, Canada, France, Ukraine and Nigeria, among others, at a training camp at the resort.
Critics said the website was an attempt to monetize the couple's royal connections, prompting a new round of calls for the duo's titles to be removed, including from Meghan's biographer Tom Bower.
One said: “You will have real problems with the use of Sussex.” It is a royal title and if there is any hint of commercialization it will be abolished. “It’s just mind-boggling that they can’t see how awkward this is.”
Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror reported that the couple did not consult with palace officials before launching the new website.
The Sun newspaper also said that Harry faced claims that the coat of arms used was outdated after he became the monarch's son last year.
Mail columnists Sarah Vine and Andrew Pierce believe the couple should be stripped of their titles to stop them shamelessly profiting from the royal family.
Without the royal family, Ms. Vine said, Harry would simply be a “slightly fat, bald ex-soldier” while Meghan would be a “moderately attractive, not very successful ex-actress.”