Canadian schools to honour King Charles ahead of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle trip

Reports suggest Prince Harry may bring his wife, Meghan Markle, and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to the Games in February.

"Harry and Meghan are planning to take Archie and Lilibet to help promote a new family-friendly Invictus Games," a source told The Express.

Meghan, 43, has attended every Invictus Games event with her husband since the two began dating in 2016.

As the Sussexes prepare for the royal visit, a Manitoba school division in Canada has announced a new way in which local schools will honour King Charles.

The division will see the reintroduction of God Save the King in its morning announcements.

The Mountain View School Division oversees 16 schools near Dauphin and has directed that the royal anthem be played alongside O Canada and land acknowledgements.

The decision marks a return to tradition for the western Manitoba schools, where the practice had previously been abandoned. The royal anthem will now be included in daily announcements across all schools in the Dauphin area.

Manitoba legislation stipulates that O Canada must be played at the start of the school day, whilst God Save the King should be played at the end.

Board chair Jason Gryba defended the decision, stating: "Good governance is about adhering to laws and regulations that are in place, regardless of how often they may have been previously observed.

"While some legislation may become less prominent over time, it remains our responsibility to uphold it as long as it is valid."

LATEST ROYAL NEWS:

• Princess Anne looks baffled as she tests AI device
• William sparks speculation following Kate's nod to Princess Diana
• Harry suffers blow after Duke and Meghan issue furious statement

The Manitoba School Boards Association noted that no other boards have reinstated the tradition.

The Manitoba Teachers' Society has raised concerns about the consultation process and the implications of the decision.

"Why is it happening in this school division, and in the era where we're all supposed to be working on reconciliation, is this actually going to do more harm than good?" said society president Nathan Martindale.

Cam Bennett, a recently retired Dauphin teacher, criticised the move as regressive.

"It just seems to be a throwback to another ... no longer needed antiquated tradition," Bennett said. "It's certainly not a step towards reconciliation."