LONDON — LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry went to Toronto for events commemorating the end of the First World War and ended up on an apology tour for offending Canadians.
Speaking to a military charity on Thursday evening, the Duke of Sussex attempted to once again address the “elephant in the blue hat in the room”. He was referring to his widely ridiculed choice to wear a Los Angeles Dodgers cap at the World Series game in Los Angeles against the Toronto Blue Jays.
This was seen as a serious snub in Canada, a British Commonwealth country where his father, King Charles III, is head of state. He was criticized on social media in the Great White North.
Harry apologized for the mistake and tried to put a humorous spin on the incident, which he called “Hat Gate”.
“When you're missing a lot of hair on the top of your head and you're sitting under the spotlight, you'll take any hat that's available,” he joked in an interview with Canada's CTV.
He then put on his Blue Jays cap, which was within arm's reach.
The incident was seen by some as testing his loyalties between his birthplace and his adopted home in the US. The prince and his wife Meghan stepped down from royal duties in 2020 and briefly moved to Canada before settling in California.
The appearance of Harry and Meghan in the fourth game of the series is what Los Angeles won in seven games — also irritated some Dodgers fans who were upset about their superior position behind home plate.
The couple sat front row – in front of Los Angeles royalty – Dodgers great Sandy Koufax and Los Angeles Lakers star. Magic Johnsonwho is a co-owner of the team.
Harry said the couple, who live about an hour west of Los Angeles in the luxury coastal enclave of Montecito, were invited to the game by the team owner.
He felt “under duress” and wore the hat as a polite gesture, something he told the Toronto audience he believed Canadians, known for their politeness, would support.
Harry was in Canada for two days, where he attended events and meetings ahead of Tuesday's Remembrance Day, which honors military personnel killed in the line of duty.
“I'm truly sorry I put on the Dodgers cap,” he said to applause at a dinner for the True Patriots Love Foundation, a charity for Canadian military personnel and veterans.
He then emphasized his ties to the country, including the fact that his actor wife – before they were married and when she was known as Meghan Markle – lived in Toronto for so long filming the show Suits that many thought she was Canadian.
“I hope you can forgive her, a native Californian, for her Dodger's devotion, even if just for one evening,” he said. “But all jokes aside, this city has always meant a lot to me – you gave me a wife.”
Harry insisted he rooted for the Jays in the final three games of the series, an admission he told CTV could make it difficult for him to return to Los Angeles.
