You couldn’t pay me to watch rugby, but I get that millions of people love it, and so be it. Prince Harry is the royal patron of the Rugby Football Union, and he flew to Japan this weekend to support Team England in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final. It was England vs. South Africa and South Africa won. Harry was supportive of both teams, telling the English team that they fought hard and going to the South African locker room to personally congratulate them as well. Harry actually added some events to his Japanese schedule – he didn’t just attend a rugby match, he also did some events around Invictus, and he seemed to do some meet-and-greets too. There was some kind of royal/VIP box at the game, and he spent time with Prince Albert of Monaco (a long-time supporter of most international sporting events) and Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko.
Here’s the video of Harry meeting the South African team. He made some off-the-cuff remarks and managed to make everyone feel like they had gotten a one-on-one moment with him. The South African peeps were so happy to see him!
Here’s a sweet/funny moment where Harry meets some Japanese schoolgirls and they are all just so happy to meet him and one girl apparently called him handsome. Harry points to his wedding band and said “I’m married.”
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Wild about Harry!
Love the sexy naked man photo; hard to pull that off elegantly and all did!
Where’s that at Sarah? I don’t see any!
Harry is so good at these kinds of events. Especially the events with kids. So natural and engaging.
+1
agreed
why am I not expecting Harry to be yelled at for “going to a sporting event and “abandoning” his child at home the way a certain Duchess was when she went to watch her CLOSE FRIEND possibly reach a major milestone? How many editorials will be written denouncing Harry’s most selfish act?
Well it is one of Harry’s patronage’s, so as fun as it is it counts as work. (And would have been for Will too if Wales had reached the final)
It was gutting to see England being battered by South Africa but I think from the moment they went on the pitch there was a different feel to it compared to their game with New Zealand,it felt like they weren’t on it. It’s unfortunate as I think it was England’s to lose and they fell short on when it mattered the most, oh well, congratulations to South Africa for winning the Rugby World Cup!
So close and, yeah, some games you can feel it from the start. Congratulations from me too, though! They are so happy and earned the win.
There was a certain nervousness about them. They made quite a few mistakes. It was a highly entertaining game, still.
Harry really has a way with people. He and Meghan could be such a force for the royal family if the royal family had a single drop of intelligence and thought about the future of Great Britain.
I was thinking pretty much the very same thing as I watched him in the videos above, Kerwood. He’s such a natural with people, so warm and genuine—words that describe Meghan’s way with people exactly.
There is a video on Twitter, don’t know if the lady is a reporter, nah, sounded too intelligent for a RR.
She was saying the Royal Family need Harry and Meghan more than they need the Royal Family.
Her point was the Royal Family was getting more attention Worldwide, from mixed race and black people that never paid attention to the RF before are doing so now because of Meghan.
She said Meghan and Harry can be successful outside of the RF.
Wonder if the Courtiers thought that Meghan would fall flat on her face during the Tour of Australia and other Countries, and when it did not happened, fell back on their nasty tricks of leaking lies.
The Royal family don’t need them at all. Harry’s far enough down the line of succession now that he’s irrelevant to the future of the monarchy.
I’m not sure why people think popularity matters here. The monarchy isn’t surviving in this modern era because the royals are popular or because people think they seem nice, it’s surviving because people in the UK are so used to them they don’t have the motivation to kick the freeloaders out. Raising their profile isn’t actually in their best interests. Staying dull and outdated and terribly boring to their subjects might see them through another couple of generations. Making a splash and regularly reminding the apathetic of their tax-payer funded existence is likely to get them thrown to the curb shortly after the Queen dies.
@JULIECARR
Popularity is essential to keep the monarchy going.
@ Julicarr
The *exact opposite* of everything you’ve said is the case. 😁
Popularity is essential for them…..otherwise, what the hell are we paying for? Meghan and Harry are raising their popularity on a global stage, which makes them *essential* for the royal family in these rocky times of Brexit, where the UK as a brand in general, is losing a lot of power and relevance.
The British Royal family as an institution know it. But the individuals within it are too consumed with jealousy, pettiness and individual ambition to harness them to their full potential.
The RF does NOT need Harry and Meghan. It is the media (RR’s and Tabloids) that need Harry and Meghan.
Harry inadvertently gave the tabloid media a golden goose when he married Meghan.
Marrying in to a royal family does not mean you’re supposed to be dull and lazy. Go see examples of Maxima, Mary, Letizia, Maria-Teresa, Daniel, etc. People who were fully-formed adult humans before they married in, who are intelligent, professional, and capable in their roles. No where does it say, ‘Royals have to be boring to survive’.
The Windsors do need Harry and Meghan, because it is clear W&K have no intention of ever working as much as they should.
South Africa social media was loving Prince Harry for his visit to their team locker room.
Some poster tried to bring up colonization by Harry’s foreparents. and most said Harry was not to be blame and they only liked Harry, Meghan and Archie.
Why was the South African President all over Harry hogging the spotlight, that they had to pull out of the way so other people could get their photos taken with Harry, and when they were in SA only met them at the end of their trip.
Maybe the Sussexes were staying away from anything that would appear political.
That wasn’t the South African president in the change room, all over Harry. Cyril Ramaphosa was in the stands and Prince Harry hugged him quite warmly after the match.
Yeah, every one was quite positive about Harry visiting the change room.
Who was that guy? he was a bit rude.
Even the women were a bit much, they wanted a picture with Harry and nothing was stopping them, though they were going pull out the guy’s arms to get him away from Harry.
Lol, I am not sure who that was. But definitely not Cyril Ramaphosa.
Thank you @Ela. That certainly wasn’t President Cyril Ramaphosa
I still don’t understand all that goes on with rugby but I do watch it if there is nothing else on television.
I mean….look at those players. How can one ignore them.
Yeah, we are on a complete high and very proud of our team. It’s amazing how collected and calm they were and seeing the first black South African captain lift the trophy was amazing.
Kudos to Harry for going to the change room and congratulating them. Not a trace of bitterness or petulance about England losing.
I like that the player asked Harry how his family was, then went on to say he watched the News.
So all the crap that the royal reporters are selling the World is not buying.
Exactly, Peg. The world is global now whether they like it or not. So glad he asked Prince Harry about his family.
Several players mentioned Meghan and Charlie. No matter how hard the tabloids try, the world isn’t fooled. There are scores of people, especially people of colour who never gave the BRF a second thought before. That documentary was a stroke of genius.
Who is Charlie, lol? Prince Charles? 🙂
I’m sorry but Harry telling his adoring school girl fans that he is married is weird and a bit distasteful. So if he wasn’t married, it would be a viable option? These are young children, not grown women who’re coming on to him. Maybe just respond to ‘you’re so handsome’ with a polite ‘thank you’?
It was a funny joke for a group of starstruck young girls. He knows how and appears to enjoy making children laugh. No need to apply any motives to it.
I’m sure it was a joke. He’s no Prince Andrew
I know it was meant as a joke. Just pointing out that it’s an inappropriate joke to make with kids.
Yeah…..it was slightly inappropriate, but not exactly massively cringeworthy…..on a scale of 1-10, where 10 is being Prince Andrew right now, I would give it a 1.5 or 2.
So, very low on the scale.
If you watch it looked to me like one of the girls was pointing her own ring finger, and so he joked back to her pointing at his and saying “I’m married.” I didn’t get any impropriety whatsoever from the exchange. I agree really not worth analyzing.
Interesting that your mind would go there when the general reaction is that it was a cute exchange with some adoring young fans. I took it to mean that he is happy being with his wife and thanks but no thanks to anyone else.
Men who chase little girls don’t let marriage get in the way. It was a completely appropriate response, and Im sure when he wasnt married he also had appropriate responses to starstruck young girls.
Maybe as an English person I should be more disappointed that England lost but honestly I’m SO happy South Africa won. They played so well and it clearly meant so much to the team and the country as a whole.
Harry is just so affable that I can’t help smile watching these videos.
That video w the school girls is so cute!
He is a charmer for sure. I just wish he would do something about his hair. It’s not too late!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
His hair? You mean the fact it’s thinning? I think he would take years of his face if he got rid of that beard….
I think the beard makes him more attractive, lol. He has a baby face that would be really enunciated if he went clean-shaven!
If he did then there would be a lot people who would give him #@$% for doing it. More comparisons to William who let “nature take its course” unlike that “vain Harry who obviously is controlled by Hollywood Meghan who made him do something about his hair, blah, blah, blah”. I think Harry is just going to roll with it and let his hair do what it do. Just like Charles, who has been hanging on to that comb over forever.
I love these videos. He’s so good with people, feels so genuine.
He is so handsome but more important he is kind and respectful.
He is my absolute favorite royal. Very kind and genuine.
Harry is not technically attractive but his personality makes him gorgeous
Harry is such a sport! Good on him to go to the changing room to offer his congratulations, so relaxed, and into the banter, that is why we love Harry