Four years after stepping down from their royal roles, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex embarked on a high-profile tour of Nigeria
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made every moment count during their ‘meaningful’ trip to Nigeria.
Speaking to PEOPLE on the tour, the Duke of Sussex says, “These trips are about being able to get out and go and focus on things that mean so much to us. And being able to be on the ground, for us, is what it’s all about.”
The Duchess of Sussex adds: “It’s really important. Being able to connect with people… that’s what makes it special.”
This connection was magnified by Meghan’s discovery through a genealogy test that she is 43% Nigerian, a revelation that it resonated deeply with Megan as she expressed being in “my country”.
On Mother’s Day, she found it overwhelming to learn more about “my heritage, which I can share with my children,” she says. “That’s such a special thing for a mother to know you can do.”
The couple hit the ground running when they arrived at Lightway Academy in Abuja on May 10, the first stop of their three-day stay. Speaking to students, Prince Harry, 39, stressed the importance of acknowledging difficult times, reassuring them that it is “okay to not be well”. Meghan, 42, told how Lilibet, who turns 3 in June, recently remarked: “Mum, I see me in you.” Reflecting on these words, Megan said, “Looking around this room, I see myself and to all of you.”
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex poses with Nigerian leaders His Excellency Engr Eberechukwu Oji, Eze Aro of Ancient Kingdom Arochukwu, Igwe Alfred Achebe, Obi of Onitsha and Great Olu Of Warri Kingdom in Lagos, Nigeria, on May 12, 2024..” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/YxL.VB1O4kk170ah8XMBcw–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MQ–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/ people_218/591cd00f29669fa6fcb816c701fa2ac7″ class=”caas-img”/>
Mishan Harriman
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex poses with Nigerian leaders His Excellency Engr Eberetsuku Oji, Eze Aro of the Ancient Kingdom of Arotsuku, Igwe Alfred Achebe, Obi of Onitsha and Great Olu of the Warri Kingdom in Lagos, Nigeria, on 12 May 20.
The scene had all the makings of a royal tour – except this time the couple visited not as ‘working royals’, but on their own terms. However, the similarities to their 2019 African tour were hard to miss. Addressee a group of teenagers In South Africa in 2019, Meghan shared, “I’m here… as your sister,” and she carried the same sentiment to Nigeria.
Related: Meghan Markle wears Princess Diana’s cross necklace in Nigeria, gift from Prince Harry (Exclusive)
“I always reflect on myself as a young lady and the kind of inspiration I wanted to see in other women. I hope in some small way I can be a part of that for a lot of these young girls especially,” Meghan tells PEOPLE. “I saw myself in them. I see the potential in all these young girls — and, by the way, in these young boys as well.”
Referring to his son Prince Archie, 5, and daughter Princess Lilybet, who turns 3 in June, she adds: “It’s what we see in our own children – to give them that promise and excitement about their future.” .
Related: All the best photos from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s trip to Nigeria!
Starting after Harry celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games in London (mainly, without any members of the royal family in attendance), the couple’s trip to Africa invoked their early hope to serve the crown and the commonwealth (of which Nigeria is a part) by pursuing economic independence, an idea previously shut down by Queen Elizabeth.
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex in Abuja, Nigeria on May 10, 2024″ src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/2LQgWG.EMNI3Nb.OE43pPw–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MQ –/https://media.zenfs.com/en/people_218/56b86e2cea13b53b049ac1b33b4b2f42″ class=”caas-img”/>
Andrew Esiebo/Getty Images for The Archewell Foundation
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex in Abuja, Nigeria on May 10, 2024
Expectations of a royal family reunion during Prince Harry’s stay in the UK were dashed when a spokesman for the Duke said there were no plan for Harry and his father King Charles to meet while he was in London ‘for his Majesty’s full [schedule]The revelation came as a surprise, given Prince Harry’s positive meeting with his father in February, after Buckingham Palace announced that the sovereign cancer diagnosis.
Those close to the couple say the Nigeria tour was not an attempt to highlight any gaps in the royal family’s workload, which is currently affected not only by the absence of Harry and Meghan, but also by King Charles and Kate Middletoncancer treatments.
For his part, Harry says: “You know what Africa has meant to me over the years. It’s a very, very special place and to be able to include Nigeria now [in the Invictus Games]I am very happy.”
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex pose for a photo with children during the Giant of Africa Foundation Dream Big Basketball Clinic in Lagos, Nigeria, Sunday, May 12, 2024.” src=”https://s. yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Xs2mYnnQyZyN0D3WAO5Ubg–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MQ–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/people_218/29e9add0d908a47b7c3e20c5ce2b65cf” class=”caas-img”/>
AP Photo/Sunday Alamba
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex pose for a photo with children during the Giant of Africa Foundation Dream Big Basketball Clinic in Lagos, Nigeria, Sunday, May 12, 2024.
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The couple traveled at the invitation of Nigeria’s chief of defense staff, General Christopher Musa, and much of the route highlighted the Invictus Games. The tour included a visit to Unconquered Nigeriaan Invictus-affiliated charity that similarly uses adaptive sports to empower and challenge wounded and injured service personnel, along with an emotional visit to Military Hospital in Kaduna for Harry.
Prince Harry at the bedside of a military veteran at an amputees hospital in Kaduna on May 10, 2024.” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/C.EQvxDwtHdmrkzVg8Jkfw–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MQ– /https://media.zenfs.com/en/people_218/58e1d5ef89eb8387258e2775e7b5c5b3″ class=”caas-img”/>
Mishan Harriman
Prince Harry at the bedside of a military veteran at an amputee hospital in Kaduna on May 10, 2024.
At the hospital, he knelt by the soldiers’ beds in a gesture reminiscent of the deceased Princess Diana, listening intently as they shared their stories. “Be strong,” he told them, noting the “transformative power” of sports.
“That experience of knowing what life is like, post-injury, gives people so much hope. And hope, hope, hope is a huge part of that,” Prince Harry tells PEOPLE.
For Megan, a pivotal moment during the trip included a discussion on women and leadership with the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex speaks at a women’s leadership event co-hosted with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on May 11, 2024.” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/ WD7KfplUk4k6dIJ1L194TA–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MQ–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/people_218/55f6780d405bb1e05aa804c96b8456c4″ class=”caas-img”/>
Andrew Esiebo/Getty
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex speaks at a women’s leadership event co-hosted with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on May 11, 2024.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala acknowledges the pressure Meghan is under in the public eye, telling PEOPLE: “She is a role model for young women. She is a woman who is not in an easy position, and people are looking to see how she handles it and does that. That’s one of the things it brings: inspiration. You can see, despite that, she’s a happy, warm personality and everyone in the room got her.”
This apparent cheerfulness contrasts with Meghan and Harry’s last visit to Africa in 2019. Back then, the The duchess was asked if she was “well”, and her answer (“Not many people have asked”) betrayed that she clearly wasn’t. Both Meghan and Harry were in a difficult place and within months announced their radical departure from royal life. Now, nearly five years later, it’s clear that their spirits have lifted.
“We’re just doing great. And I’m glad we’re watching our family grow and develop. Of course, I’m happy. We’re very happy,” Meghan tells PEOPLE.
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Read the original article at People.