African Business, 28/05/2024
In early May Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, made a three-day visit to Nigeria. The couple are no strangers to the African continent – prior to his marriage, Prince Harry carried out much humanitarian work including the launch of Sentebale in Lesotho, a charity that assists children orphaned by or living with HIV/AIDS. He joined a team of volunteers in Malawi to carry out elephant relocations. Meghan Markle had travelled to Rwanda for the clean water campaign as global ambassador for World Vision Canada. They last visited the African continent in 2019, for a Southern African tour of Malawi, Angola, South Africa and Botswana.
Since stepping back from the monarchy in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan have continued engagements abroad from their home in California. Their visit to Nigeria was at the invitation of the country’s chief of defence staff, General Christopher Musa, who stressed that they were invited in a “personal, not official, capacity” as the couple are no longer “working royals”.
The visit was planned in connection with Prince Harry’s role as founder and patron of the Invictus Games Foundation, which supports wounded, injured and sick servicepeople, both serving and veterans. Nigeria, which joined the Invictus “Community of Nations” in 2022, was the first African country to do so.
On the face of it, this visit by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle featured many of the hallmarks of a tried-and-tested royal tour, including visits to a school and a hospital, speeches, musicians showcasing local culture and an evening dinner reception. Over the 72 hours of the trip the Duke and Duchess met people from all walks of life, including schoolchildren, diplomats, and servicepeople. Continue Reading >>
