Soho House mogul Markus Anderson - dubbed 'second most important man in Meghan's life'  joins the Duchess and Harry at Vancouver Canucks game - 4 years after setting up secret dates for the couple

Meghan Markle was joined by her old friend and confidante Markus Anderson as she and Prince Harry cheered on the Vancouver Canucks from a VIP box at the Rogers Arena on Monday.

Dubbed 'Mr Soho House', Markus, 43, is often referred to as the 'second most important man' in Meghan's life - and was instrumental in getting Harry and Meghan together.

In the early days of the royal couple's courtship, Markus was often pictured by Meghan's side, often dressed in a smart suit or trendy ensemble.

But yesterday, he opted for a green, woollen jacket and jeans for a decidedly more casual look as he sat next to Meghan to watch the hockey.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Canada for work to promote the next Invictus Games, which will be held in Vancouver and Whistler in February 2025.     

So perhaps it's fitting that Markus joined them, a he was by Meghan's side at her first public appearance with Harry at the Invictus Games in 2017 in Toronto.

He was her 'bouncer' as the global media thronged outside a New York hotel when she hosted her £350,000 baby shower; and in a website post to him she once wrote: 'What would I do without you, my loving, supportive, and endlessly fun friend… I love you SO much.']

Debonair, charming and with impeccable contacts, Markus is so close to the Meghan that she refers to him as uncle to her beloved dogs. 

Anderson comes from Peterborough, Ontario, a town 90 miles north-east of Toronto.

At 18 he cut his small-town ties and headed for London , landing a job as a waiter at A-list members' club Soho House.

He quickly caught the eye of well-connected founder Nick Jones, and rose through the ranks in London, developing his own network of celebrity friends and fixers.

Jones soon sent him back to Canada to set up Soho House in Toronto – and in 2011 Anderson met Meghan when she arrived in there from Los Angeles to film the first series of her TV legal drama Suits.

A Soho House source previously told the Daily Mail: 'Long before Prince Harry came on the scene, Markus was introducing Meghan to all sorts of rich and powerful people.'

Anderson introduced Meghan to George and Amal Clooney and also to Jessica Mulroney – daughter-in-law of ex-Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Jessica became her closest female friend, although the pair are believed to have drifted apart.

Meghan would refer to Anderson as 'uncle' to her two dogs Guy and Bogart and was photographed on holiday with him in Madrid.

Back then, Meghan was still with first husband, film producer Trevor Engelson, and while Engelson remained in LA, Anderson squired her around Toronto, introducing her to local celebrities, including the man who is now Canada's Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.

Anderson was a shoulder to cry on as Meghan's marriage fell apart in 2013. He would set her up on dates with eligible men drawn from his vast network of contacts. But it was after she met Prince Harry in 2016 that Anderson became an even more vital part of Meghan's life.

While Meghan and Harry are widely believed to have first met on a blind date in London set up by designer Misha Nonoo, it was in Canada – and more specifically at Toronto's Soho House – that their love blossomed.

Anderson arranged for the couple to meet secretly in private rooms at the club.

He did the same in London and even arranged a romantic weekend away at Babington House, a picturesque hotel in Somerset run by Soho House. When Meghan made her first public appearance with Harry at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, she chose to sit next to Anderson in the stands to watch events, and he was also photographed alongside Meghan's mother Doria in a private viewing box.

And Meghan was with Anderson when he celebrated his 40th birthday. 

He was presented with Soho House's first custom-made wine called Lady A, a fruity rosé with a butterfly bottle designed by Damien Hirst. The artist is another long-time Anderson friend.

In a press release, Soho House announced: 'So why Lady A? It's an old nickname Nick Jones used for Markus Anderson, one of our longest-standing team members who turns 40 this year.

'Markus has been a loyal member of the team for two decades and this rosé is a fitting tribute.'

It added: 'The butterfly label is designed by Damien Hirst, a friend who knows Markus as a social butterfly.'

Since then, Anderson has become increasingly instrumental in helping to guide Meghan.

During Meghan's £350,000 baby shower, she chose to take no Palace PRs with her, instead relying on her friend to deal with the media massed outside Manhattan's five-star hotel The Mark.

However, his influence and methods have sometimes been criticised.

Satirical magazine Private Eye reported that Anderson allowed Parisian macaron shop Laduree to 'promote' the fact that they provided four £350 macaron towers for the baby shower. 

The event resulted in a fierce debate amid claims of over-indulgence and embarrassment for Meghan when the Laduree website boasted that the macaron towers would be something 'Marie Antoinette would be proud of'.

Private Eye also rather unflatteringly claimed that Anderson 'is known in the gilded corridors as the Sussex Fawcett' – a reference to Prince Charles's former footman Michael Fawcett, who, it was once claimed, was so close to the future King that he used to squeeze toothpaste on to his toothbrush.

Despite his closeness to Meghan, Anderson maintains his showbiz connections – and is a very good friend of TV presenter Cat Deeley, who has forged a successful career in the United States.

Talking about Anderson's role with Meghan, and his recommendation of Sara Latham as her PR, a source previously said: 'Marcus is great fun, very witty and amusing.

'He knows everyone. He's utterly discreet. He and Sara are amazing people for Meghan to have on her team.

'Between them they know everyone in the world of politics and showbusiness on both sides of the Atlantic.

'If Meghan and Harry are looking to become a global brand with their philanthropy, they could not have chosen two better people to guide them.'

Another source said: 'Markus is someone who can meet anyone, be it royalty or a receptionist and he makes everyone feel special.

'He is brilliantly connected, utterly charming and very discreet. I've tried talking to him about Meghan and all that happens is a big smile crosses his face.

'He is completely loyal to her – a keeper of the secrets.'

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Canada for work to promote the next Invictus Games, which will be held in Vancouver and Whistler in February 2025.

Their visit came a week after a whistleblower told MailOnline that the Games is in 'turmoil' after two of its most senior executives were 'dismissed for no apparent reason' with just over a year to go.