A ROYAL expert has blasted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Nigeria trip for being an “old-school royal tour”, despite them stepping back as royals in 2020.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex touched down in Africa for their three-day visit on Friday and have so far danced with schoolchildren and met with locals and officials.
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Despite the trip technically being a “private” visit, Newsweek’s Chief Royal Correspondent Jack Royston claims they are treating it like a royal tour.
Speaking to The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show, he claimed: “It’s not a private trip.
“I mean, it’s so funny because even that announcement of itself was made at a press conference with ‘welcome Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ in the background and big board.
“It’s a little bit all over the place in terms of how they presented it.
“But essentially no it’s not a private trip, it’s very close to an old school royal tour, except for the fact that obviously they haven’t, in general, invited the media as a whole.”
This is Harry and Meghan’s first trip to Nigeria as a couple, although they did a royal tour of southern Africa in 2019 when they were working royals.
They stepped down from royal duties and relocated across the pond in 2020 – with their departure dubbed ‘Megxit’.
During this visit to Nigeria, Meghan and Harry are expected to visit three cities in their efforts to get the country to host the Invictus Games in 2029.
The royal expert told The Sun’s Royal Editor Matt Wilkinson that Meghan and Harry will be taking part in activities that we’ve seen them do as working royals.
Jack added: “I think they’re going to take part possibly in some wheelchair basketball.
“They’re going to watch some training by soldiers who, presumably they at very least, might be in the Nigeria Invictus team if they’re not already.
“They’ve been to a school already, so it’s very much that old school royal playbook.
“They look great, it’s fantastic to see.
“I don’t know why they don’t do more of this in America, and there’s nothing extensively to stop them going around doing these kinds of events in America, and I think it would probably help a lot if they did.”
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Harry and Meghan, who is of Nigerian descent, will meet service members and their families, and participate in traditional cultural activities, according to local media.
Jack added that there is a pressure for the Nigeria trip to go well for Meghan and Harry.
But essentially no it’s not a private trip, it’s very close to an old school royal tour, except for the fact that obviously they haven’t, in general, invited the media as a whole
Jack Royston
He explained: “There’s always a danger that it could go wrong and if they put a foot wrong, then they’ll obviously be jumped on.
“But I think that it’s important not to make decisions out of fear.
“You just want to make the right decision, but they ought to start being positive.
“I think this is what Harry and Meghan need to do, start getting in a positive mindset, leave the era of attacking the family behind them, where they’re just being positive like going out there, doing good stuff.”
Inside Sussexes’ trip to Nigeria
The Duke and Duchess are spending three days in Nigeria to promote the Invictus Games.
The Sussexes will be taken to a hotel when they first touch down today, then visit the Light Academy, a school in nearby Wuse, before meeting defence leaders and visiting injured soldiers.
Tomorrow Harry’s set to field a team during a seated volleyball match played by Nigeria’s Invictus team, before he and Meghan meet with more soldiers and their families.
That afternoon Meghan will host a Women in Leadership event with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a Nigerian-American economist who is director general of the World Trade Organisation.
Then, on Sunday, the Sussexes will head along to a basketball clinic that promotes youth getting into the sport, enjoy a cultural reception and visit a polo fundraiser.
This follows Harry slamming his family in his bombshell Spare memoir, and criticising the royals in their Harry & Meghan documentary.
Prince Harry did a whistlestop three-day trip to the UK earlier this week, arriving on Tuesday and leaving on Thursday evening, but didn’t see his family during the visit.
A spokesperson for Harry explained: “It unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full programme.
“The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”
Harry and Charles last reunited at Clarence House in February for their first face-to-face meeting in 16 months.
Charles, 75, resumed public duties last week for the first time since beginning cancer treatment.
He is now expected to attend the year’s first Buckingham Palace garden party.
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