Although they left their royal duties behind, Prince Harry It is Meghan Markle paid an official visit to Nigeria on Friday, reminiscent of their former royal tours.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were all smiles as they visited the Lightway Academy in Abuja during their first visit to Nigeria. This is the couple’s first official international visit since they stepped down from their roles as senior royals in early 2020.
Harry wore an off-white linen shirt and pants, while Meghan wore a peach Heidi Merrick maxi dress with her hair down in a loose ponytail.
The couple received large brown wooden bead necklaces, which they wore during their visit. They took selfies with schoolchildren, watching local artists, and were greeted with a flower-covered banner that said, “We are honored to have you!”
Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation previously donated school supplies and menstrual products to the women of Nigeria through a partnership with the GEANCO Foundation.
In addition to meeting with school staff and students, Harry and Meghan also gave their own speeches about mental health.
“We are honored to have our first visit to Nigeria here with all of you. We believe in you, we believe in your teachers, and we believe in your ability to continue to tell your stories and be honest with each other,” Meghan told the crowd (via People). “There is no need to suffer in silence.”
The trip comes after Harry visited the UK to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. Meghan did not join her husband on this leg of the trip, although she briefly touched down in the country as part of her layover in Nigeria, meeting Prince Harry in the airport’s Windsor Suite, by real reporters.
The duo has a weekend of official events scheduled for their trip abroad. Notably, the couple’s last official trip abroad was in 2019 to South Africa, where they spoke publicly for the first time about their struggles within the royal family and as first-time parents.
Since then, they have become estranged from many members of the royal family, including Harry’s father. King Charles III is brother, Prince Williamnone of which Harry saw during his most recent visit to the UK
“He doesn’t have many other plans,” royal expert Katie Nicholl told ET about Harry. “He hoped, of course, to see his family. Possibly that’s why the trip lasted three days… but as we now know, there will be no family reunions.”
Since stepping down from their roles as senior royals in early 2020, Harry and Meghan have spoken countless times about their time with the Windsors, including a headline-making interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, her Netflix docu-series, Harry and Meghanin late 2022, and Harry’s tell-all memoir, Savein early 2023.
RELATED CONTENT: