Prince Harry has apologised to Canada for wearing an LA Dodgers cap during the World Series, a move that sparked controversy among Canadian fans. The Duke of Sussex, who attended the games with his wife Meghan Markle, was seen supporting the Dodgers over the Toronto Blue Jays in the Fall Classic.
In an interview with CTV News, Harry said: 'Oh the LA Dodgers hat, hatgate. Firstly I would like to apologise to Canada for wearing it. Secondly, I was under duress, there wasn't much choice, I was invited to the LA Dodgers box or the dugout by the owner himself so I thought I was doing what was the polite thing to do.' He then produced a Blue Jays cap and put it on, vowing to wear it from now on to avoid further mistakes.
The Prince also joked about his thinning hair, adding: 'But the other piece to this was... when you're missing a lot of hair on top and you're sitting under floodlights, you'll take any hat that's available.' He explained that throughout games five, six and seven, he was 'Blue Jays throughout', but admitted it would be 'really hard for me to return to Los Angeles' after his confession.
The couple, now residents of Los Angeles, drew criticism from Canadians given their strong ties to Toronto. Meghan lived in the city for seven years while filming Suits, and Harry trained with Canadian forces during his military service. The pair also faced backlash from Dodgers fans after being seated in the front row ahead of sporting legends Magic Johnson and Sandy Koufax.
Harry's apology came during a pseudo-royal tour of Canada, where he visited Sunnybrook Hospital's veterans centre in Toronto. He joined war heroes for a creative arts class, painting poppies on an army helmet with 101-year-old veteran Jim LaForce, who served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War Two. In a touching moment, he kissed the hand of 91-year-old Villa Shah.
