Exclusive:
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have wrapped up their tour of Nigeria, where one royal expert believes the Duchess of Sussex ‘played the princess she always wanted to be’
Meghan Markle was given the chance to “play the princess she always wanted to be” on her and Prince Harry’s Nigeria tour, according to one royal expert.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have just wrapped up their three-day trip to the African country, which they embarked on to promote the Invictus Games. During the visit, the couple took part in charity fundraisers and met with key figures.
Meghan looked incredible on the trip, stepping out in a backless blush pink dress on day one and wearing a bold red dress as she co-hosted a talk on Women In Leadership. Royal author Tom Quinn has said Meghan was able to transform into a royal, without having to follow the rules.
For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US.
READ MORE: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Archewell scandal – fundraising nightmare to cheque lost in post
Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, he said: “This was a chance for Meghan to play the princess she always wanted to be. Without all the tiresome protocol she so hated in the UK, she could have the glamour without the grit.”
He added: “Harry and Meghan see their three-day visit to Nigeria as a huge success, but others have taken a very different view. The couple were delighted to be treated as if they were working royals, but that’s hardly surprising as both Meghan and Harry behaved as if they were the genuine article.”
Tom also said Harry and Meghan’s trip to Nigeria tied in well with the Duchess’ discovery that she has Nigerian ancestry. He said: “Harry and Meghan certainly did their homework with this trip – it tied in very nicely with Meghan‘s discovery that she is 43% Nigerian and the couple would have known that the Nigerian government was unlikely to worry much about the niceties of who is an official Royal and who isn’t.
“On top of that, Nigeria, independent since 1960, still loves the royal family – which is why officials in Nigeria made the point of playing God save the King while Meghan and Harry stood stiffly to attention.
“But look closely and you can see Meghan has a twinkle in her eye. She is clearly really enjoying the fact that everything on this trip was just as it should be for a real princess, a princess who does things on her own terms and not because she gets told what to do by some fusty old institution.”
The royal expert concluded: “That’s why Meghan positively glowed when a number of her Nigerian hosts addressed her as ‘princess’.” Meghan was christened the Princess of Arochukwu Ancient Kingdom during her time in Lagos.
* Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.
