Henry of England and Meghan Markle landed in Nigeria very early in the morning of this Friday, May 10, and a few hours later they have already starred in the first act of their trip to the African country, with which they want to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games, a competition that was founded by Prince Henry himself in 2014 as a tribute to war veterans injured in combat. The director of sports of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Abidemi Marquis, expressed his gratitude for the visit in a press conference prior to the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as he believes it will help “improve the personal self-esteem and mental health of the soldiers”. “The participation [del equipo de Nigeria] “At the Invictus Games – last year was the first time – it provides the opportunity for our wounded soldiers to recover,” he added.
Henry of England has arrived in the African country after a brief visit to the United Kingdom. He was in London for just a couple of days to celebrate the tenth anniversary of a very personal project for him, since he was stationed in Afghanistan twice. A short stay in which he has not had the opportunity to see his father, King Charles III, due to “the busy schedule” of the monarch, who just last week resumed his public events after about three months of absence since he left. detected a cancer. His wife landed in London on Thursday to travel together to the Nigerian capital, Abuja. Their children, Archie and Lilibet, have remained in California, where the family has resided since 2020, the year they resigned their roles as members of the British royal family.
The visit will last three days, and began this Friday in Abuja with a meeting with the chief of the Defense Staff, General Christopher Musa, who was in charge of inviting the dukes and organizing their trip. Before this meeting, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex wanted to visit Lights Academy, a school supported by the couple’s foundation, Archewell. There they have been welcomed with hugs, flowers and a performance by local singers and dancers. During his visit to the school, Prince Harry also gave a speech on mental health. “There is no shame in being able to recognize that today is a bad day, okay? That you woke up this morning feeling sad, that you were at school feeling stressed, that you lost a loved one in your family and you don’t know who to turn to or who to talk to.” Markle then followed: “We are honored that our first visit to Nigeria is here with 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. There is no need to suffer in silence.”
Subsequently, they moved to Kaduna state (center), bordering Abuja, to visit the Nigerian Army Referral Hospital, where they will meet with the wounded soldiers.
On Saturday, “the Defense Staff team and the Duke’s team will play a volleyball game in the Armed Forces officers’ dining room,” Marquis detailed, and stressed that “it is only a game to chat with the wounded soldiers.” The second day will culminate in the evening, with a reception in which Henry of England and his wife will be able to meet in person with the families of wounded soldiers, as well as with soldiers and relatives of those killed in combat. Thus, the couple will end their visit on Sunday in the city of Lagos, in the south of the country, where they will attend another reception and watch a basketball game at a Nigerian school for which they financed the construction of a court. On Monday morning, they will fly back to Los Angeles. According to the sports director of the Nigerian Army, the trip also includes meetings with the governors of Kaduna and Lagos, Uba Sani and Babajide Sanwo-Olu, respectively.
The visit begins after Prince Harry revealed he was “happy” to be back in the UK this week to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. A short return and in which he has not seen anyone from his paternal family, although he has been supported by his maternal uncles.
According to the British tabloid, Daily Mail, Many British observers have noted that this visit bears more resemblance to a royal tour than to a promotion for the Invictus Games. But the British Government has clarified that the trip has nothing to do with a representation exercise, given that the dukes left their positions as active members of royalty in 2020. “They do not represent the United Kingdom,” confirmed Richard Montgomery, Senior British Commissioner in Nigeria.
Reporting on the itinerary of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s visit, Defense Headquarters also revealed that Meghan Markle was looking forward to visiting Nigeria to “explore her Nigerian ancestry.” The duchess, of African-American origin, revealed in 2022 in one of the chapters of her Archetypes podcast who describes herself as “43% Nigerian.” In fact, last year, during a visit to the Nigerian team at the Invictus Games – held in Dusseldorf (Germany) – Meghan Markle received a Nigerian name: Amira Ngozi Lolo. “Amira” means warrior princess of a legend, while “Ngozi” means blessed and “Lolo” means royal wife. Then, during his opening speech to the competition, Prince Harry joked about this: “I’m not saying we have favorites in our house, but since my wife discovered that she is of Nigerian descent she is likely to become a little more this year. competitive.”
#Harry #England #Meghan #Markle #tour #Nigeria #promote #Invictus #Games