Prince Harry lightheartedly expressed his apologies to Canada on Thursday for sporting a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball cap during the recent World Series matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays. In an interview with CTV News, Harry explained, “I was under duress… I was invited to the Dodgers dugout by the owner. I was doing what I thought was the polite thing to do.”
Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, were present for Game 4 of the World Series on October 28 at Dodger Stadium, where they witnessed the Blue Jays tie the series against the Dodgers, although Los Angeles went on to clinch the championship in Game 7. Amid his light-hearted banter, Harry joked about his hat choice, saying, “When you’re missing a lot of hair on top, and you’re sitting under floodlights, you’ll take any hat that’s available,” while wearing a Blue Jays cap during the apologies.
During his speech at the True Patriot Love’s National Tribute Dinner that night, Harry referred to the cap incident as “Hat-Gate,” acknowledging the buzz it created online and in Canadian media. He emphasized his support for the Blue Jays throughout the series, stating, “Game 5, Game 6, Game 7, I was Blue Jays throughout.”
Canada united in its excitement for the World Series as the Blue Jays, the lone MLB team from the country, aimed to dethrone the formidable Dodgers. Despite his new residence near Los Angeles, Harry has strong ties to Canada, stemming from his family lineage, and has a special connection to Toronto where Meghan lived while filming “Suits.”
On Thursday, Harry visited Toronto to engage with veterans ahead of Remembrance Day on November 11, culminating in an event honoring Canada’s military. In his speech, he addressed what he whimsically termed “the blue-hatted elephant in the room,” asserting, “This city will always mean a great deal to me.”
Both Harry and Meghan have fond memories of Canada, having briefly resided on Vancouver Island in 2020 before settling in California. As their ties to the nation continue to thrive, it’s evident that their journey, marked by humor and warmth, resonates with Canadians from coast to coast.