Anyone who followed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s quasi-royal tour in Nigeria last weekend could be forgiven for being a little confused. There were Harry and Meghan, beaming at glitzy state receptions, receiving military welcomes and stopping for selfies with adoring crowds – precisely the sort of thing they suggested they had no interest in when they walked away from their royal duties in 2020. Because though the British high commissioner may have said the couple were visiting in a “private capacity”, make no mistake – their Nigeria trip was a royal tour in everything but name, with the only thing missing being a working member of the royal family.
With the couple having just celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary, it feels as though they are sending out increasingly mixed messages. It’s been just over four years since Megxit, with the couple only spending just under two years as working royals, yet their trip looked as close to a royal duty as anything the King and Queen or the Prince and Princess of Wales have carried out over recent years. Both Charles and William are said to be “absolutely furious” about the situation, with royal commentator Tom Quinn stating it had left the King “angrier than anyone has ever seen him". With the tour following hot on the heels of the launch of Meghan’s new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, and the announcement of two more Netflix projects in the pipeline, it’s left royal watchers scratching their heads and wondering what exactly the Duke and Duchess are trying to achieve.
