By Jamie Roberts
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were the notable absentees from this year's star-studded Super Bowl crowd.
As the Kansas City Chiefs squeezed home victory in over time, the likes of Blake Lively, Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were all in attendance, but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were nowhere to be seen.
Harry's shock appearance at the NFL Honours ceremony last week had fans fully expecting the pair to be taking their seats among the glitteratti in Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium. But it was not to be, and it appears as though the reason has now come to light.
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Following the sad news that Harry's dad, King Charles, has been diagnosed with cancer, many were unsure of what Harry's next move would be. However, after a whistle-stop return to the UK, he stopped by Vegas for the NFL ceremony. And it appears that next up on the agenda is a trip to Canada ahead of next year's Invictus Games.
Both Harry and Meghan have been deeply involved in the Games, with Harry initially setting up the event 10 years ago. Initially, according to its website, Harry wanted to inspire "recovery through sports, esports and adventurous challenge," so the Games was created.
Now, as the event gets ready to be hosted in Canada in 2025, Harry and Meghan are set to attend a three-day ceremony from February 14 through February 16. The next Invictus Games will take place in February 2025 and will be held in Vancouver and Whistler, with winter sports featured for the first time.
The couple's trip to Canada comes ahead of Harry's next visit back to the UK. The Duke of Sussex is tipped to travel back in May for the 10th birthday of the Invictus Games with celebrations expected to take place at St Paul’s Cathedral. The UK government also recently announced a multi-million-pound bid to see the Games hosted in Birmingham in 2027
With so much going on in Harry's busy schedule and family life, it appears as though something had to give, and on this occasion the Super Bowl was seemingly the event that was dropped despite the Sussexes receiving a personal invite.
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