A sphere of royalty expert has stated that Prince Harry had a perceived “bitter” expression during his most recent travel to Nigeria with his wife Meghan Markle.
Having distanced themselves from their Royal obligations in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, went on a three-day journey to Nigeria earlier this month. The trip has earned a considerable amount of praise, being likened to a Royal tour even though the pair are no longer officially serving royals.
Royal author Tom Quinn shared his insights with the Mirror saying, “Harry considers their recent trip to Nigeria a huge success. However, he feels a certain failure whenever his family fails to acknowledge his efforts and persistently declines to apologize for past events. Despite being in Nigeria with Meghan by his side, Harry was often seen with a seemingly permanent bitter expression.”
The trip to Nigeria has been predominantly perceived as a victory for Harry and Meghan, hinting they would like to embark on more adventures in the future. Expressing gratitude to the people of Nigeria upon their return, they described it as “the first of many trips”, according to reports in the Mirror.
Yet, there are some who have voiced concerns. According to these sceptics, these visits that mimic royal tours could potentially “aggravate the existing royal discord”. They speculate that the Nigeria trip “incensed” the Royal family.
Speaking to The Mirror, PR expert Lynn Carratt from Press Box PR said, “These pseudo-royal tours might deepen their feud with the Royal Family if not managed properly. Their Nigerian tour bore the features of a Royal Tour, which reportedly vexed the palace.”
Carratt indicated if these tours are tied to their separate projects like the Invictus Games, “then these tours serve their brand’s PR”. She further commented, “I don’t think the Nigerian tour improved their popularity in the UK and USA, but it did demonstrate to the African nations the work that the couple can do and undoubtedly boosted their popularity there.”
The travel to Nigeria, carried out representing the Invictus Games, is reportedly not the last African journey Harry and Meghan aim to engage in. Post the successful Nigerian visit, the Sussexes are considering another nation, with Ghana hinted to be the potential next stop.
In a recently disclosed source it was mentioned “There is already a lot of talk and anticipation in Glasgow, everyone is excited for Harry and Meghan to come and experience the rich culture and warmth.”.
This could be seen as a great opportunity for them and their works, but it also might not be as warmly received at home and could deepen the existing rifts back in Glasgow.