Prince Harry and Meghan Markle aren’t part of the royal family anymore. However, what they did just weeks ago proved different, at least to some. The Sussexes visited Nigeria for a three-day visit to market the Invictus Games, where they met with wounded soldiers and visited local charities. The former royal couple received a warm welcome, and according to reports, they are already planning a new trip to another African country.
Meanwhile, some people have seen the trip as a threat. Prince William and Kate Middleton, two of the most senior royal family members and ‘arch-enemies’ with the Sussexes, were reportedly furious with Harry and Meghan’s trip, which was just like any other royal visit abroad – except that they weren’t royal anymore.
But the trip wasn’t only seen as ‘invading on royal turf’ for the Prince and Princess of Wales. According to a royal expert, Prince William and Kate are “terrified” about Harry and Meghan – and that they will take over as the public face of the royal family.
The royal family’s image has deteriorated in recent months. There are several reasons for this, one more self-inflicted than the other.
Firstly, the fact that both King Charles and Kate Middleton haven’t been able to perform their royal duties because of their respective cancer treatments has been a big blow to the royal family. Of course, your health is always a priority, and no one could demand the king and Princess of Wales return to royal duty before they are fully fit.
Royal family in a “fragile” state, royal expert says
Years ago, the royal family consisted of many members, and some even argued that too many working members cost the taxpayers too much money.
However, in the spring of 2024, the royal family was left weak, former BBC journalist and political editor of the New Statesman Andrew Marr claims.
Previously, Prince Harry left for California together with Meghan Markle, and Prince Andrew was cut off after the allegations of sexual abuse connected to Jeffrey Eppstein.
“This is a smaller and frailer royal family than Britain is used to,” Andrew Marr wrote in the New Statesman magazine, per AP News. “It scarcely seems believable that only a decade ago, people were complaining about there being far too many members of it.”
Managing editor of Majesty magazine added, “It’s a remarkable situation, and a significant moment for the monarchy and the institution so early in the king’s reign that two senior figures should be out of action. The pressure is on a much smaller team.”
As King Charles and Kate Middleton were out of royal duty, Queen Camilla and Prince William had to take on more responsibility. The fact that they weren’t in public for several months has put the monarchy in a tough spot.
“This is a historic monarchy that thrives on interacting with people,” royal historian Robert Hardman told Sky News. “It has to be visible.”
Kate Middleton in the spotlight
The royal family is in a tough spot, and King Charles and Kate MIddleton have been out indefinitely for months – even though the king now performs some duties – which has been a tough blow.
Meanwhile, the Firm suffered a huge setback on Mother’s Day when Kate MIddleton broke the silence and posted a picture of herself and her children.
However, the picture turned out to have been manipulated. This caused a lot of anger among royal fans and experts, and just a day after it was published, the princess apologized.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C,” Kate said in a post on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ social media platforms.
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It took a few hours before photography experts and social media users began analyzing the picture, finding several errors and examples of bad editing. As a result, conspiracy theories surged online, and people lost trust in the royal family because they didn’t tell the truth.
It didn’t stop at fans; big news agencies were left furious, too, feeling they no longer could trust the material they received from the royal family.
Several news agencies, including the Associated Press and Getty, sent a “kill notice” (an advisory notice to remove or not use a specific photo).
Journalist compared the royal family to North Korea
Another news agency that used a “kill notice” was the well-renowned Agence France-Presse (AFP). Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Media Show, Phil Chetwynd, AFP’s global news director, said that Kensington Palace is no longer a trusted source.
“No, absolutely not. Like with anything, when you’re let down by a source the bar is raised … We sent out notes to all our teams at the moment to be absolutely super more vigilant about the content coming across our desk — even from what we would call trusted sources,” he said, as reported by Deadline.
Chetwynd continued by revealing that several news agencies asked Kensington Palace if they could provide the original picture. They didn’t get a reply, and the image was pulled.
Moreover, Chetwynd said kill notices are usually reserved for sources such as North Korea.
“To kill something on the basis of manipulation [is rare. We do it] once a year maybe, I hope less. The previous kills we’ve had have been from the North Korean news agency or the Iranian news agency,” Chetwynd added.
While the royal family is fragile, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are thriving in the US.
Meghan is set to release her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, while Prince Harry’s Invictus Games is growing larger and larger.
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s visit to Nigeria
Since leaving the royal family, Harry has been very engaged in assisting veterans in the best way he can, not least by giving them hope and happiness through competitions, which is how the Invictus Games started.
Next year, the Invictus Games will be arranged in Vancouver-Whistler.
“Over 500 competitors from over 20 nations compete in adaptive sports, including the new winter sports: Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding, Nordic Skiing and Biathlon, Skeleton, and Wheelchair Curling, in addition to the core Invictus Games sports of indoor rowing, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair rugby, and wheelchair basketball,” it reads on the Invictus Games website.
“Returning from deployment in Afghanistan, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, watched as the coffin of a Danish Soldier was loaded aboard for repatriation, alongside three injured British soldiers. That moment had a profound impact on him. Following a visit to the US Warrior Games in 2013, he was inspired to create the international Invictus Games to celebrate the unconquered human spirit and shine a spotlight on these men and women who served,” the website reads.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left royal life behind, which meant no more engagements to attend to. However, weeks ago, Harry and Meghan embarked on what some saw as a ‘royal’ visit when they spent three days in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games.
The couple arrived in Abuja, Nigeria, to a vast crowd, smiling and taking selfies. They wanted to highlight mental health problems for young people affected by conflicts, and the trip included a visit to the Lightway Academy, which received support from Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation. As per AP, the school trains young girls affected by conflicts in Nigeria.
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle accused of playing the “royal card” with Nigeria visit
Harry and Meghan also met with wounded soldiers and their families, and the three-day trip was a huge success. The Sussexes have battled bad press in the last couple of years, not least because of the many allegations made against the royal family, but now, at least for Meghan Markle, it appears that the tide has turned.
A recent poll by Newsweek shows that Meghan’s popularity is surging in the US.
She’s liked by 36 percent of adults and disliked by 24 percent, which gives her a net approval rating of plus 12. That’s the same approval rating as King Charles and the Sussexes’ recent decision to travel to Nigeria, was indeed a fresh start.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria visit is sparking different reactions in the UK. According to a royal insider speaking with the Mirror, Prince William and Kate Middleton are “furious” about Harry and Meghan’s visit.
Before the three-day visit, Harry and Meghan received hefty criticism as it was seen as somewhat of an “unofficial royal tour.” Meanwhile, they were accused of damaging the royal family’s ties to the Commonwealth.
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Royal expert Tom Bower suggested that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were playing the “royal card.”
Meanwhile, author Phil Dampier stated that the Nigeria visit seemed “ironic” since the Sussexes had previously criticized the Commonwealth.
“It’s ironic that the late Queen wanted Harry and Meghan to very much be her ambassadors throughout the Commonwealth and spread goodwill among its fifty or so nations, but they didn’t want to do it as royals,” Dampier told the Daily Mail.
Prince William & Kate Middleton “furious” with Harry and Meghan Markle, expert claims
“Now they are happy to pick and choose invitations they receive from these countries.” He also suggested the Sussexes are trying “to set up a rival court, their own royal roadshow.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton have a lot on their plate at the moment. That they are now, as royal expert Tom Quinn says, “furious” about Harry and Meghan’s Nigeria visit doesn’t make things easier.
The royal expert told the Mirror that the Prince and Princess of Wales are not only angry with Harry and Meghan Markle. Moreover, he suggests that the couple fears that their nightmare has come true.
“William is absolutely furious and determined to find a way to stop this happening in the future. Charles is said to be angrier than anyone has ever seen him,” Quinn told the Mirror, adding that William is upset that the Nigerians “treated Meghan and Harry as if they too thought this was an official tour.”
“It’s as if Harry and Meghan have gone rogue—their Nigeria trip is a bold statement that they refuse to accept they are no longer working royals. William and Charles are scratching their heads and thinking, ‘How are we going to control this nightmare situation?'”
“Gave the impression that they are still fully paid-up royals”
The royal expert concluded that Harry and Meghan Markle were welcomed in a way that included all the elements of an official royal visit.
Quinn said the Sussexes’ speeches in the African country “gave the impression that they are still fully paid-up royals.”
“For Charles and William, it’s as if Meghan and Harry are saying, ‘We don’t need your permission to be working royals – we will do it on our own terms whenever and wherever we like,'” Tom Quinn told the Mirror.
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