6 months ago
29
NEW DELHI:
Prince Harry
, 39, and
Meghan Markle
, 42, recently undertook a trip to Nigeria, drawing sharp reactions from the
British royal family
. Despite stepping back from royal duties in 2020, the couple's visit resembled an
official royal tour
, causing significant consternation among senior royals.
Royal expert Tom Quinn told the Mirror that the trip "confirmed the worst fears" of Harry's family, making Prince William and King Charles "absolutely furious." The tour included traditional elements of a royal visit, such as receptions, school visits, and meetings with wounded soldiers and the disabled.
Quinn noted, "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. Charles is said to be angrier than anyone has ever seen him."
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office clarified that
Harry and Meghan
were visiting Nigeria in a private capacity and that the UK government was not involved in organizing their activities. Nonetheless, the visit had all the markings of a traditional royal tour, leading to perceptions of the couple acting as working royals.
During their visit, Meghan co-hosted a Women in Leadership event with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the director-general of the World Trade Organization. Referring to Nigeria as "my country," the Duchess of Sussex described the experience as "eye-opening" and "humbling." The couple also visited children at the Lights Academy in Abuja and met with injured service members at a military hospital.
Royal experts
claim the trip has made the royal family worry that Harry and Meghan have gone "rogue." Quinn stated, "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.’" He added that their speeches and overall demeanor were designed to give the impression that they are still active royals, a notion that William and Charles "don’t like one bit."
The trip is seen as a challenge to the traditional royal structure, with concerns that Harry and Meghan might continue to undertake such visits independently. Quinn suggested that William and Charles are left pondering, "How are we going to control this nightmare situation?"
