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. A post shared by blogTO (@blogto) on Sep 22, 2017 at 6:20am PDT 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. A post shared by blogTO (@blogto) on Sep 23, 2017 at 3:22pm PDT 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. A post shared by Prince Harry (@princeharryofengland) on Sep 30, 2017 at 9:22am PDT 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. A post shared by Prince Harry And Meghan Markle (@princeharryandmeghan) on Sep 30, 2017 at 7:27pm PDT 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.  A post shared by blogTO (@blogto) on Sep 23, 2017 at 1:05pm PDT He even found time to take some pictures for himself. A post shared by Prince Harry And Meghan Markle (@princeharryandmeghan) on Sep 29, 2017 at 7:25pm PDT 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. A post shared by Prince Harry And Meghan Markle (@princeharryandmeghan) on Sep 29, 2017 at 10:35pm PDT He even let his private life finally become public when he showed off girlfriend Meaghan Markle to the world for the first time. A post shared by blogTO (@blogto) on Sep 25, 2017 at 12:54pm PDT 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. A post shared by Sainté O Constelación (@sainteconstel) on Oct 1, 2017 at 5:53am PDT 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.  A post shared by Wills, Kate & Harry Updates (@cambridges_princeharryupdates) on Oct 1, 2017 at 8:09am PDT Harry made Toronto his own during his stay, and I'm sure more than a few people can't wait for his next visit.

by Lisa Power via blogTO