The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were invited to Nigeria by the country’s Chief of Defence Staff
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry touched down in Nigeria on Friday, May 10, for their first official international tour since stepping back from their royal roles in 2020.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were pictured arriving at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Friday morning. The couple were invited to visit the African country by its Chief of Defense Staff, the highest-ranking military official.
The visit follows Harry’s recent trip to the U.K. to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. Although he invited family members, including his father King Charles, brother Prince William, and sister-in-law Kate Middleton to attend a service at St. Paul’s Cathedral, none of them were present. Meghan, 42, who did not accompany Harry to the U.K., joined him afterward, and they traveled together to Nigeria.
On Friday morning, the couple will visit a school and meet with the Chief of Defense Staff. In the afternoon, Harry, 39, will meet injured servicemembers at a military hospital.
On Saturday, they will attend a training session for the organization Nigeria: Unconquered and a reception hosted by the Chief of Defence Staff in honor of military families. Later, Meghan will co-host a Women in Leadership event with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organization.
During their time as working royals, Harry and Meghan went on several official international tours. In 2018, shortly after their royal wedding, they visited Australia, Tonga, Fiji, and New Zealand, announcing Meghan’s pregnancy during the trip. In February 2019, while expecting Archie, they toured Morocco and later visited southern Africa with their 5-month-old son.
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During their visit to Cape Town in South Africa in 2019, Meghan gave a memorable speech, proudly speaking about her many roles — including her Black heritage.
“On one personal note, may I just say that while I am here with my husband as a member of the royal family, I want you to know that for me, I am here as a mother, as a wife, as a woman, as a woman of color, and as your sister. I am here with you, and I am here for you,” she said to cheers from the crowd.
During their time in Nigeria, Meghan and Harry will meet with service members and take part in a variety of cultural activities. The visit will highlight Harry’s Invictus Games, which welcomed 500 athletes at last year’s event in Germany, with 21 nations in attendance, including Nigeria.
Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Badaru, the Minister of Defense, who participated in last year’s event in Germany, has indicated Nigeria’s readiness to host the games if given the chance.
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In 2022, during an episode of her podcast Archetypes, the Duchess of Sussex disclosed that she found out she had Nigerian ancestry, comprising 43% of her genetic heritage, through a genealogy test.
At the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, Germany last year, Meghan and Harry dedicated time to interact with the Nigerian team, whom Harry mentioned his wife was supporting in his opening address.
“Now, I’m not saying we play favorites in our home, but since my wife discovered she’s of Nigerian descent, it’s likely to get a little bit more competitive this year,” he joked