Prince Harry, Meghan Markle make first official public appearance together

Prince Harry and his girlfriend Meghan Markle have made their first official public appearance as a couple.

The prince and Markle, a Toronto-based actor in the legal drama Suits,held hands Monday afternoon as they walked toward Toronto City Hall to take in one of the sporting events for the Invictus Games.

Both were dressed casually in jeans, the prince wearing a black polo shirt while his girlfriend wore a pale button-down shirt. They both wore dark sunglasses.

Harry is in the city for the Games, a multi-day sporting event for wounded soldiers that he founded in 2014.

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He and Markle sat together in the stands to watch wheelchair tennis on Monday, occasionally applauding or leaning in to talk to each other. They later lingered to speak and shake hands with some in the crowd.

They eventually walked away from the event, again holding hands.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: 1st official public appearance as a couple

7 years ago

Duration 0:25

Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle appear together at the Invictus Games in Toronto.

Markle had appeared at the Games' opening ceremony this weekend, cheering athletes from the stands while Harry sat several rows away next to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Melania Trump and Gov. Gen. David Johnston.

Johnston even weighed in on the romance during an interview with Britain's ITV News.

"I think it will be quite marvellous and I hope it will be quite marvellous for him, and obviously will help to bring us closer together," he said.

There had been intense speculation about if and when the couple would make a public appearance together. Dozens of British photographers travelled toToronto, betting it would happen.

Rupert Thorpe, a photographer forthe Daily Mail on Sunday tabloid,told CBC News on Saturday the first appearance photo would sell to magazines for somewhere between $60,000 and $123,000.

They have publicly acknowledged their relationship and have been photographed together from afar in the past, but this is the first time they have appeared together at an official event.