(PHOTOS) Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Share Candid Selfie from Charity Gala Date Night in Canada

VICTORIA, British Columbia — Meghan Markle and Prince Harry gave fans a glimpse into their charity-event date night in Canada this weekend, sharing a candid selfie and behind-the-scenes footage from an evening spent celebrating a longtime family friend.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the David Foster Foundation's 40th Anniversary Celebration on Friday, Aug. 7, in Victoria, British Columbia, an event honoring four decades of fundraising by the music producer's charity. The following day, Meghan, 45, posted a smiling selfie of herself and Harry, 41, on Instagram, along with video clips from the evening.

Meghan captioned the post with two emojis — a Canadian flag and a red heart — offering no further commentary on the outing.

A polished night out

For the event, Meghan wore a black gown from Canadian designer Greta Constantine, paired with a set of diamond and sapphire earrings that once belonged to the late Princess Diana. Harry wore a black-and-white tuxedo with a traditional bow tie. In the selfie shared on Instagram, the couple posed closely together, both smiling, with what appeared to be late-day sunlight on their faces.

The Instagram post also included video of the couple greeting performers at the gala, including members of a bagpipe and drum band, as well as footage of them mingling with other guests before heading into the ballroom.

Also shared to Meghan's Instagram Stories was a look at one of the evening's desserts: a chocolate piano decorated with purple frosting, a nod to Foster's career as a composer and producer.

Longtime ties to David Foster

Harry and Meghan's connection to Foster, 76, and his family stretches back years. Foster's wife, Katharine McPhee, has known Meghan since childhood, and the Foster family has played a quiet but significant role in the couple's history. In 2019, Foster helped arrange for Harry and Meghan to stay at a mansion on Vancouver Island owned by one of his friends — a visit that came shortly before the couple announced in January 2020 that they would step back from their roles as senior working members of the royal family.

The David Foster Foundation, which the musician launched in 1986, provides financial support to Canadian families with children undergoing life-saving organ transplants, helping cover non-medical costs while raising awareness about organ donation across Canada and the United States, according to the foundation's website. Other attendees at Friday's gala included singers Adam Levine and Josh Groban.

In a message posted to the foundation's website marking the anniversary, Foster reflected on the milestone, saying the celebration was built around "elegant gala experiences and unforgettable musical performances" alongside a tribute to the Inner Harbour setting and what he described as the countless lives changed through the organization's work over the past 40 years.

A busy stretch for the Sussexes

The Canada trip capped a active few days for the couple. It came just days after Meghan celebrated her 45th birthday on Aug. 4, which she marked on Instagram with a playful photo of herself jumping into a swimming pool while holding a bunch of balloons, captioned in part, "Thank you for the birthday love!" The couple's appearance in Victoria also followed what has been described as Harry's recent homecoming trip to the United Kingdom.

Meghan's choice to wear Princess Diana's earrings also came roughly two weeks after she and Harry shared a rare family photo showing their children, Princess Lilibet, 5, and Prince Archie, 7, visiting Althorp, Diana's childhood home in England — a detail that added an additional layer of family significance to the weekend's wardrobe choice.

Canada's role in the couple's story

British Columbia holds particular meaning for the Sussexes. Meghan lived in Toronto while filming the television series "Suits," and her relationship with Harry began during that period. The couple made their first public appearance together at the Invictus Games in Toronto in 2017. They later spent their first holiday season as a family of three in Vancouver in 2019, and returned to the region for the 2025 Invictus Games.

Meghan's return to social media

The weekend's posts are part of a broader pattern since Meghan rejoined Instagram on Jan. 1, 2025, ending a roughly five-year absence from the platform following the closure of the couple's joint @SussexRoyal account in March 2020. Since then, Meghan has used her personal account to share family milestones, behind-the-scenes moments from her projects, and glimpses of her life with Harry and their children in Montecito, California, where the family currently resides.

Neither Meghan nor Harry has commented publicly beyond the Instagram post about the significance of the David Foster Foundation appearance or any additional details from the trip. Representatives for the couple did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.

The gala appearance adds to a steady stream of public outings for the Sussexes this year, as the couple continues to balance their charitable commitments, business ventures and family life away from royal duties they stepped back from more than six years ago.