Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are being wooed following Nigeria trip
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Nigeria trip was a hit, with another African nation wooing the Sussexes for a visit but the King fears the duo aims to set up a ‘rival court’.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might have come under fire for an officially non-royal ‘royal tour,’ but their efforts have paid off on the African continet.
The Sussexes could be set to return to Africa following their controversial visit to Nigeria earlier this month.
Harry and Meghan’s whirlwind 72-hour tour of Nigeria was pegged to promoting the Invictus Games but it had all the hallmarks of a Commonwealth royal tour, with the couple meeting with top leaders in the West African nation and getting behind grassroots charities.
Sky News reports the “mock royal tour” looked like a success but Harry’s father, King Charles III, was “reportedly furious about the visit” and is concerned that the Sussexes are “attempting to destabilise the Commonwealth and set up a rival royal court.”
According to a Sussex insider, Harry and Meghan are currently being wooed by top officials to travel to Accra, the capital of Ghana for a similar ‘unofficial royal’ visit.
The port city on the gulf of Guinea was a favourite destination of Harry’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and Ghanaian leaders are reportedly going to “pull out all the stops” to convince the Sussexes to make the trip, The Mirror reports.
“There is already a lot of talk and excitement in Ghana, everyone is so keen for Harry and Meghan to come and experience the great culture and warmth,” an insider told the newspaper.
Ghana has become a bit of a draw with celebrities of late. Idris Elba, who was a DJ at Harry and Meghan’s wedding, is part-Ghanaian and loves spending time ‘back home.’
Ed Sheeran, Naomi Campbell and One Direction’s Liam Payne have also made recent stops there.
Ghana is the second most populous country in West Africa after Nigeria and is a member of the Commonwealth.
Such a visit would not come with the blessing of the British Home Office as Harry and Meghan no longer represent the monarchy abroad.
It is understood they accepted the invitation to visit Nigeria after meeting Nigerian officials in Germany last year at the Invictus Games.
A source revealed to The Mirror that Charles’s “ultimate” fear is the Sussexes will be seen by some in the Commonwealth as “more appealing” than actual working royals like Princess Anne and the Duchess of Edinburgh.
“The ultimate fear for King Charles and William is that Meghan’s rebelliousness actually ends up making her more appealing than the understated members of official team royal,” the source said.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were greeted by excited crowds during their three-day visit to the West African country that Meghan called her “motherland” after a DNA test found that she is 43 per cent Nigerian.
She also wore a cross necklace previously owned by the late Princess Diana, which gifted to her by her husband, Harry. She also wore a gold collar necklace similar to one favoured by Diana in 1991.
Also on Monday, Harry’s brother Prince William was appointed to leader of Harry’s former military unit, the Army Air Corps, with which he saw two tours of duty to Afghanistan, while William saw not active service.
After spending time with the non-profit that administers the David Oyelowo Leadership Scholarship for Girls, Harry, 39, and Meghan, 42, announced Archewell’s existing initiative dedicated to serving girls and young women in Nigeria with menstrual health products and educational services will now include mental health resources and training for young men and women, and an inaugural Mental Health Summit organised over two days for nearly 200 students in the Nigerian capital of Abuja.
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