Meghan Markle is reportedly "convinced" that her recent trip to Nigeria with Prince Harry proves she was right all along about the Royal Family, according to royal author Tom Quinn. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited Nigeria over the weekend to promote the Invictus Games, participating in fundraising events and meeting with key figures. Some experts have branded the visit a "mini royal trip," and Quinn believes Meghan enjoyed being treated like a part-time member of the Royal Family.
According to The Mirror, Quinn said, "Meghan sees her visit to Nigeria as a huge success and proof that she was right all along - she and Harry should have been allowed to be part-time royals, because they are really good at it." The author noted that Meghan's face during the tour "said it all," with her pleasure in being treated as a "great figure" being "unmistakable."
In contrast, Quinn observed that Harry often looked unsure of himself, with a "slightly sad-little-boy look" that suggested he was being asked to do something he was never quite sure of by his "more confident partner." The author added, "Swept up by his wife's confidence it may never have occurred to Harry that playing at being on an official Royal tour to Nigeria just makes his brother and his father King Charles even more furious with him and even more determined to push him away."
Following the successful trip, Prince Harry has hinted that he and Meghan will carry out more overseas tours in the future. Speaking to Nigerian outlet Peoples Daily, the Duke of Sussex said, "There's only so much one can do from home and over Zoom, so we look forward to travelling more because the work matters. Whether it's the Archewell Foundation, Invictus or any of our other causes, there will always be reasons to meet the people at the heart of our work."
Harry also expressed his happiness with the growth of Invictus and the inclusion of Nigeria, stating, "You know what Africa means to me over the years. It is a very, very special place, and to be able to include Nigeria now, I'm very happy."
However, Richard Montgomery, the UK's high commissioner to Nigeria, emphasized that while the Sussexes' visit had many similarities to a traditional royal tour, it was not rubber-stamped by the country. He told the news agency of Nigeria, "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. So, the British High Commission is not involved in arranging or facilitating their programme. They are not representing the work of His Majesty's Government on this visit."
Quinn previously told The Mirror that King Charles and Prince William have been left "absolutely furious" over Harry and Meghan's tour. "William is absolutely furious and determined to find a way to stop this happening in future. Charles is said to be angrier than anyone has ever seen him," the author claimed.
Despite the Royal Family's reported anger, a source close to the Sussexes insisted that their trip to Nigeria had nothing to do with the Royal Family. Speaking to People magazine, the source said the Nigeria tour was "not an attempt to highlight any perceived gaps in the Royal Family's workload, which is currently affected not only by Harry and Meghan's absence but also King Charles' and Kate Middleton's cancer treatments."
