Prince Harry is addressing the playful backlash surrounding “hatgate” — and offering an apology to Canada.
The Duke of Sussex, 41, came under fire after he was spotted wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers cap while attending Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 28 with his wife, Meghan Markle.
Some Canadian fans were disappointed that he didn’t show support for the Toronto Blue Jays, the only Major League Baseball team based in a Commonwealth country.
While in Toronto for Remembrance Day events, the U.K.’s equivalent of Veterans Day, Harry laughed off the incident during an interview with CTV News on November 6.
“Oh, the L.A. Dodgers hat — hatgate. Well, firstly, I would like to apologize to Canada for wearing it,” he said.
“Secondly, I was under duress,” he added, explaining that he was invited to the Dodgers’ box and dugout by the team’s owner. “So, I was doing what I thought was the polite thing to do.”
Although the Dodgers lost Game 4, they went on to win Game 7 against the Blue Jays 5-4, ultimately becoming World Series champions. During his Toronto interview, Harry made his loyalties clear by donning a Blue Jays cap.
“I'm going to wear this from now on to make sure I don't make any more of those mistakes,” he said with a smile.
The Duke also joked about his decision to wear a hat that night, adding, “When you're missing a lot of hair on top and you're sitting under flood lights, you'll take any hat that's available.”
He insisted that for the rest of the World Series, he was “Blue Jays throughout.” Meghan even shared an Instagram Stories clip showing Harry looking disappointed after the Dodgers’ win.
Before wrapping up the interview, Harry reiterated his affection for Canada. “I'm very sorry to the Canadian public. I'm devastated that the Blue Jays lost, but go Jays,” he said, adding that returning to Los Angeles might now be “really hard” after declaring his loyalty.