Prince Harry Allegedly Steals Puck-Drop Moment From Autistic Child; X Users React

Prince Harry had a special moment at the annual Autism Acceptance Night, but some critics seemingly questioned it.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped out Monday night to attend the Autism Acceptance Night at Rogers Arena during the Canucks vs. San Jose Sharks game. Prince Harry participated in the event by performing the ceremonial puck drop.

However, one netizen wondered if the moment was supposed to be given to an autistic child and not the "Spare" author. The netizen also criticized the Sussexes for allegedly hijacking the event that was supposed to be a celebration of autism acceptance.

"Did Harry steal the puck drop moment from an autistic child?" the online user asked on X, formerly Twitter.

The post received mixed responses from other users. Some claimed the royal did.

"That's what I heard. If Harry was any kind of man or father he would have included the child in the ceremony," another wrote. "That's probably true," another commented with an enraged face emoji. "I definitely wouldn't be surprised if he did," a third person added.

Meanwhile, some were hoping it wasn't the case. Others were not sure if Prince Harry stole the puck drop moment but expressed their disapproval of how the event had become more about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after they showed up.

"Please say he did not...PLEASE," one commented. Another stated, "No, I don't think so." "Shame on him if he did. I saw that this game night was all about Autism Awareness and the support the team gives plus a very large cheque given. But all that's been reported is about the Harkles been there. Once again, they make another charity event all about them," a different user added.

The Duke of Sussex's late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, dropped the puck in Vancouver 21 years ago.

Queen Elizabeth graced a pre-season match between Vancouver and San Jose in 2002. At the event, the late monarch dropped the puck in a ceremonial opening before retiring to a special box to watch the game with her husband, Prince Philip, per CTV News.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry's Invictus Games is heading to Vancouver in 2025. One account on X shared a clip of Prince Harry and Markle's recent public outing and announced that the royal took part in the ceremonial puck drop as part of a visit ahead of the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025.

In related news, Prince Harry's wife, Markle, was accused of laughing at Miriah Reitmeier, a local professional singer on the autism spectrum, who performed the Canadian national anthem at the sports event. One critic said the reaction was "so typical" of Markle, but some said they didn't think the duchess was laughing at the singer.