Meghan Markle and Prince Harry/Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have touched down in Lagos, marking their arrival in Nigeria after Prince Harry’s brief trip to the UK for the Invictus Games anniversary. Despite missing a meeting with King Charles due to scheduling conflicts, the royal couple is set for a busy itinerary promoting the games in Africa.
Their plans include school visits, engagements with injured service members, and attending basketball and polo matches. They will also participate in a training session with the charity organization Nigeria: Unconquered, affiliated with the Invictus Games, and join a reception honoring military families, according to the Independent.
Prince Harry, 39, made a return to the UK on Tuesday afternoon to attend a service at St Paul’s Cathedral commemorating the Invictus Games milestone. A few meters away, King Charles hosted guests at Buckingham Palace’s first garden party of the year, but the father and son did not convene during Harry’s short visit.
Harry’s spokesperson attributed the King’s absence to his busy schedule. Following this, reports surfaced of a purported “second snub” as Prince William is set to be appointed colonel-in-chief of Harry’s former military regiment, the Army Air Corps.
The ongoing trip to Nigeria marks the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s inaugural foreign tour since transitioning to private life. Despite their past international engagements advocating for different causes, such activities ceased upon their departure from official royal duties in 2020.
Prince Harry and Markle were praised prior to their scheduled meeting with wounded soldiers during their visit to Nigeria commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.
Nigerian defense spokesperson Brigadier General Tukur Gusau confirmed the couple’s arrival on Friday, noting that their presence would serve as a morale boost for the injured service personnel.
“This engagement with Invictus is giving us the opportunity for the recovery of our soldiers,” he said.
Prince Harry, who established the Invictus Games in 2014 as a platform for wounded, sick, and injured service personnel to showcase their sporting abilities, is also using his visit to Nigeria to raise awareness about mental health issues.
During a visit to a Nigerian school on Friday, supported by the Archewell Foundation, Prince Harry empathized with students about the challenges of coping with loss. He underscored the fact that it’s okay to acknowledge difficult days and to seek support when needed.
“In some cases around the world, in more than you would believe, there is a stigma when it comes to mental health,” he said.
“Too many people don’t want to talk about it, because it’s invisible – something in your mind that you can’t see. It’s not like a broken leg, it’s not like a broken wrist, it’s something we are still relatively unsure of.
“But guess what? Every single person in this room – the youngest, the oldest – every single person has mental health.”
