Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ripped for riding past disabled veterans in golf buggy at Invictus Games

VANCOUVER, CANADA: It seems Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have a penchant for courting controversy.

This time, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are catching major heat for riding around in a golf cart while rolling past disabled veterans at the Invictus Games. The royal couple—who are both perfectly able-bodied—were spotted cruising in style while some of the very veterans the event was created for stood on the sidelines, some even in wheelchairs. 

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry spark outrage with golf buggy ride

It happened on Sunday during the seventh edition of the Invictus Games in Vancouver, a competition Prince Harry founded back in 2014 to honor wounded, injured, and sick service members. Meghan Markle, 43, joined her husband, 40, to show her support, but their choice of transportation sparked outrage online.

A short clip of the two riding past cheering veterans in a golf buggy was shared on Meghan’s Instagram, and let’s just say people were not impressed. "They drive along being taped by the cart behind them… with people being encouraged to yell out for them. When does this madness stop?" an angry social media user wrote while reposting the footage on X (formerly Twitter).

Outraged critics wasted no time in calling out Harry and Meghan for what they saw as a tone-deaf move.

"Insanity! And the people that encourage these two Bozos, they should be ashamed of themselves," one person wrote on X.

"So Meghan and Harry, two able-bodied people, are driven on a golf cart passed disabled veterans. Some of the veterans are wheelchair-bound. They should have walked through the group, meeting, greeting, and shaking hands. All with a camera following them. Unbelievable," another added.

"Disabled veterans made to stand waiting in a mile-long cold concrete corridor whilst these two very able-bodied get golf carted in the opposite direction. Just when you think they can’t sink any lower," someone else chimed in.

"The athletes are the heroes. Yet, once again, it’s all about them," read a comment.

"I feel bad for the Athletes. The two of them are making Invictus look like one big grift," another lamented.

The Sussexes and the Invictus Games

The Invictus Games kicked off in Vancouver on Saturday with performances from Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Nelly Furtado. It has been an important engagement for the Sussexes. After all, it was at the 2017 Toronto Invictus Games that they made their public debut as a couple, holding hands at a wheelchair tennis event.

Fast forward to today, and Meghan's attendance is apparently all about supporting her husband. "Her attendance underscores her support for her husband and the mission of Invictus, a cause that is deeply personal to both of them," a source told the Daily Mail.

"While the Duchess has several exciting projects on the horizon, her family remains her top priority," they added. 

"As always, she and the Duke will continue to stand together in support of the causes they care about, just as they did during their visits to Colombia and Nigeria last year. Her focus at the Games will be on uplifting her husband, the competitors, and sharing their stories," the insider added.

Prince Harry and Meghan are set to spend three nights in Vancouver before heading off to Whistler for the adaptive winter sports portion of the event.

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