Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Assert Independence with Nigeria Visit, Claims Royal Author

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle seem to be asserting their independence from King Charles by showing they don’t need his permission to be working royals, according to a royal author. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex recently returned from a significant trip to Nigeria, where they visited military headquarters, met with charity organizations and politicians, and promoted the Invictus Games, according to Yahoo.

Invited by Nigeria’s highest-ranking military official, Christopher Musa, Harry and Meghan’s visit was notable for its resemblance to a royal tour. However, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, emphasized that the Sussexes were not visiting Nigeria on official business.

Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond noted that King Charles and Prince William would likely want to clarify that Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior royals more than four years ago. Sources close to the couple stressed that the trip was not a royal tour, but royal author Tom Quinn suggested it was “a bold statement that they refuse to accept they are no longer working royals.”

Quinn highlighted the perplexity this visit caused within the royal family. “When you look at what Harry and Meghan got up to on their Nigeria visit, it is easy to see why the senior royals are worried. Everything you might expect from an official royal visit was there – the receptions, the visits to schools and charities, to wounded soldiers and the disabled,” he said, via Express.

He added, “Meghan and Harry’s speeches and their whole attitude have been designed to give the impression that they are still fully paid-up royals, and William and his father, King Charles, don’t like it one bit. For Charles and William, it’s as if Meghan and Harry are saying, ‘We don’t need your permission to be working royals – we will do it on our own terms whenever and wherever we like.'”

Confirming the private nature of the visit, the British High Commissioner stated, “It’s great that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are visiting Nigeria, which I understand is at the invitation of Defence Headquarters. But they are visiting in a private capacity, not an official one.” Montgomery further clarified, “The British High Commission is not involved in arranging or facilitating their program. They are not representing the work of His Majesty’s Government on this visit.”

The Sussexes were invited to Nigeria to promote the Invictus Games, which Harry founded ten years ago. During their visit, they engaged in activities such as visiting a school for a mental health event, meeting charity organizations and wounded soldiers, and interacting with local politicians.

Despite the clear message that this was not a royal tour, royal historian and author Tessa Dunlop pointed out that Prince Harry was “very much sticking to a royal script.” She explained, “While the Prince can no longer claim to be a working royal, he is very much sticking to a royal script. Fast on the heels of his service-themed London visit came a quasi-royal three-day African tour.”

Dunlop added, “Invited to Nigeria (a Commonwealth country no less) ‘as part of the Invictus Community,’ there Harry joined forces with Meghan, who claims 47 percent Nigerian heritage.” She noted that despite the couple’s recent service-focused trips, “any hope that Harry and Meghan might be enticed back into an informal Commonwealth role looks more unlikely than ever.”