‘I was under duress’: Prince Harry apologizes to Canada for wearing L.A. Dodgers hat during World Series

Prince Harry apologizes to Canadians for wearing a Dodgers hat while taking in the World Series at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles.

Prince Harry says he’s sorry to Canada for wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers hat.

He sported the headwear during Game 4 of the 2025 World Series between the L.A. Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays, Canada’s only Major League Baseball franchise.

Images of him and his wife, Meghan Markle, circulated widely online. Harry, who is in succession for the throne, remains connected to Canada’s monarchy.

Some observers believe that Canada’s status as a commonwealth realm demands Harry’s allegiance not just in stately matters, but also in baseball.

In an exclusive interview with CTV News, the prince made his preferences clear.

“Firstly, I would like to apologize to Canada for wearing it. Secondly, I was under duress. There wasn’t much choice,” said the prince, who explained he was invited to the game by the Dodgers’ owner. He says he thought wearing the team’s hat was “the polite thing to do.”

“I’m going to wear this from now on,” he said, putting on a Blue Jays cap.

He added that, “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.”

The prince also said that he was rooting for the Blue Jays in subsequent games, and that admitting he’s a Toronto fan first will make it difficult to return home to Los Angeles.

Harry and Markle have lived in Los Angeles since 2020, opting for the glitz of California’s most populous city over Vancouver – another option the two were considering.

Prior to the move, excitement among Royal watchers on Canada’s west coast was palpable. Sales of Union Jacks and Saint George’s Cross flags jumped locally after word of the potential move spread, media reported at the time.

Markle, an L.A. native, had previously lived in Toronto while filming hit TV show “Suits.” The two made their relationship public at the Invictus Games, which took place in the city that spring of 2017, holding hands to preside over the games.

• Prince Harry in Toronto this week for several events

Perhaps it was their ties to Canada beyond the traditional pageantry – like that displayed during the official state visit by King Charles III – that made their allegiance with the opposing sports team so disgruntling to Canadian fans, many of whom took to social media to voice their frustrations.

The Blue Jays are, of course, Canada’s only Major League team. They hadn’t seen a World Series victory in three decades. CTVNews.ca contributor Afua Hagan distilled the feeling in her analysis of the episode.

“Being a fan often ties to one’s identity. So, when former senior royals are seen wearing an American team’s gear when their opponent is Canadian, it can spark debates about loyalty, belonging, and identity,” she wrote in a column at the time. Adding later: “no gesture is truly small.”