Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's surprise appearance stuns fans

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have visited Canada in the leadup to the Invictus Games, pleasantly surprising fans with a pitstop at an ice hockey game.

On Monday night, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were spotted at the Vancouver Canucks game, with Harry playing a special role on the rink.

The royal was invited to do the ceremonial puck drop and kick off the match.

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Later, the duke returned to his seat to join his wife in their box seats.

Fans who noticed the royal pair quickly grabbed their phones to snap the moment.

"Meghan Markle is also here!!" one attendee wrote on his X account, accompanied by a short clip of the couple watching the game.

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At one point the couple were featured on the big screen of Rogers Arena for all to see.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made the Canada trip ahead of the next Invictus Games, which will be held in Vancouver and Whistler in 2025.

The event is an international multi-sport event for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veterans, the initiative founded by Prince Harry in 2014.

This is the second time the Invictus Games will have been held in Canada, with the 2017 Games held in Toronto.

Harry and Meghan famously made their public debut as a couple at the event.

It's fair to say, then, that Canada has a special place in the hearts of Prince Harry and Meghan, however they aren't the only members of the royal family who enjoy a Canada trip.

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In fact, Prince Harry is not the first royal to take on the ice rink and perform the ceremonial puck drop.

Twenty-one years prior to his big moment, Queen Elizabeth took part in the ice-hockey tradition at the exact same venue, with the game also being between the Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks.