Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's time in Vancouver has delivered another heartwarming story.
Town and Country reports that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex recently made a visit to the Squamish Nation, a First Nations community originating from Canada.
The royals' appearance took years to manifest, as their plans weren't set in motion until a 2023 visit from a contemporary Squamish leader who pitched Vancouver and Whistler as the official location of the 2025 Invictus Games.
Introducing Wilson Williams
Wilson Williams (pictured above with a pair of glasses and a headband) played an integral role in the Vancouver and Whistler committee's bidding process for the Invictus Games. Town and Country reports that Williams visited London himself to represent the Four Host Nations as their indigenous representatives.
For those who don't know, the Four Host Nations for Vancouver and Whistler are the Líl̓wat, Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
Before he left Canada for London, Williams visited Squamish's Hereditary Chief Ian Campbell. According to Town and Country, Chief Campbell opened his closet to Williams and let him pick any piece of ceremonial regalia he wanted. This was a monumental privilege, as Chief Joe Capilano was the last Squamish representative to travel the streets of London in 1906.
As we can seem Williams' efforts paid off in a major way. The leader's pitch went so well that Prince Harry understood the importance of hosting the Invictus Games in Vancouver and Whistler and appreciated the magnitude of the Four Host Nations' presence in the area.
While announcing the official location of the 2025 Invictus Games, Harry made sure to mention that he did so with "the invitation and permission of the Indigenous people.” Now, we can confirm that Prince Harry meant this literally; as the Squamish Nation's welcoming party for the Duke and Duchess was a sight to behold.
A huge party for an equally momentous occasion
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are the first members of the British Royal Family to visit the Squamish Nation in generations. Once upon a time, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were supposed to visit the Squamish Nation during a tour of Canada in 1939. The Squamish were so sure the visit would occur that they carved two totem poles and built an arch that would welcome the royals in. Unfortunately, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth never stopped by to visit them.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle learned of this disappointing history and made sure they would do right by their Indigenous friends and supporters.
According to Williams, Harry and Meghan's presence "righted a wrong from the past, and [was] a special moment in our community."
Town and Country reports that the Duke and Duchess participated in a ceremony and played instruments as children from the community danced around them. Harry and Meghan also visited the Squamish Nation's language nest to meet the families who are keeping the Squamish language alive.
"We live in a spirit of reconciliation—we're living it right now," Williams said in Town and Country's article. "We broke a lot of barriers. We cleared a big path for our Indigenous people to say: ‘Hey, this is righting a wrong. We want to meet these people.’"