Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal trip to Nigeria is a “bold statement that they refuse to accept that they no longer work in the royal family”, an expert has claimed.
Speaking to the Mirror, author Tom Quinn noted that the 72-hour visit “confirmed the worst fears” of the Duke of Sussex’s family and left the King and Prince of Wales “absolutely furious”.
“Everything you would expect from an official royal visit was there: the receptions, visits to schools and charities, to wounded soldiers and the disabled,” he explained.
“Meghan and Harry’s speeches and their entire attitude have been designed to make it seem like they are still fully paid royals and that William and his father, King Charles, don’t like that at all .”
Tom said Harry and Meghan appeared to have “gone rogue” – and alleged the company was worried they were “trying to pull a fast one”.
Speaking to the Mirror, author Tom Quinn noted that the 72-hour visit confirmed the Duke of Sussex’s family’s worst fears.
“For Charles and William, it’s as if Meghan and Harry are saying, ‘We don’t need your permission to work with members of the royal family – we’ll do it on our own terms, whenever and wherever we want ‘”, he added.
Much of the Sussexes’ visit felt like a royal tour.
However, the Duke and Duchess set foot in the West African country on their own terms after being invited by the military for a three-day trip.
Sources within the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed to MailOnline that Harry and Meghan were “visiting Nigeria in a private capacity”, with the UK government “not involved in organizing or facilitating their program “.
But even though Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior royals in 2020, their visit bore various similarities to overseas trips undertaken by working members of the royal family.
Royal expert Michael Cole told MailOnline that although the couple received “a private visit from two royal figures”, they “exploited their royal status to the extreme and in every way, trying to give the felt like it was the real thing.”
He said that although the Sussexes’ trip “was not a state visit, an official visit or a royal tour”, it was similar to a “visit proposed by Buckingham Palace and sanctioned by the British government”.
He added that the couple “was so successful that they will return to California very satisfied with their three days in Nigeria.”
Tom said Harry and Meghan appeared to have “gone rogue” – and claimed society was worried they were “trying to pull a fast one”. William and Charles pictured earlier this month
Sources within the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed to MailOnline that Harry and Meghan were “visiting Nigeria in a private capacity”, with the UK government “not involved in organizing or facilitating their program “.
But even though Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior royals in 2020, their visit bore various similarities to overseas trips undertaken by working members of the royal family.
Royal expert Michael Cole told MailOnline that although the couple received “a private visit from two royal figures”, they “exploited their royal status to the extreme and in every way, trying to give the felt like it was the real thing.”
The California brand’s dress was also launched as part of a collection in 2018, the year Harry and Meghan married at Windsor Castle.
The Sussexes also enjoyed cultural events, a visit to a polo club, meeting wounded soldiers at a military hospital and playing adaptive sports.
The Mail On Sunday’s former royal correspondent Charlotte Wace wrote in The Times: “Despite the similarities to their tours before stepping down as working royals in 2020, there were key differences.
“The press kit had been replaced by a journalist and a photographer. More importantly, they represented themselves rather than the monarch and were free to choose their schedule.
“There seemed to be less formality and more selfies compared to trips in the past.”
Others pointed out the nods to fashion in the outfits worn by Meghan, including an eye-catching backless dress by American designer Heidi Merrick called ‘The Windsor’.
The California brand’s dress was also launched as part of a collection in 2018, the year Harry and Meghan married at Windsor Castle.
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