Moment Meghan Markle and Prince Harry discuss Prince Archie’s birthday as they sit with schoolchildren in Nigeria

By Maria Okanrende for Mailonline

3:09 p.m. on May 10, 2024, updated 3:19 p.m. on May 10, 2024

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sweetly chatted about their son Prince Archie’s birthday with a class of students in Nigeria.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in the African country today on a royal-style tour which began today with a visit to the Wuse Lightway Academy in the country’s capital, Abuja.

In a clip from their outing, the couple can be seen sitting on the floor of one of the school’s classrooms as they meet students eager to get to know their royal visitors.

Equally curious are Meghan and Harry who are told by their young guests that they are “five years old”, before the prince happily confirms “our son Archie is five… the same age as you”.

Their son, Prince Archie, turned five on May 6, but not much is known about how the Sussexes marked their first child’s special day.

The same day, a California party planner sparked speculation on Instagram when she shared a special balloon arrangement with the words “Happy Birthday Archie!”

But today it seemed the parents of Archie and his little sister, two-year-old Princess Lilibet, were excited to tell people about the joyous occasion.

Adding to her husband’s words, Meghan joked: “It’s true. He turned five last week!

The couple seemed to enjoy the conversation with the youngsters, as they continued by saying “it’s a pleasure to meet you!”

Meanwhile, the Prince continued the conversation with different students by asking them “how old are you?”

The Sussexes were visibly in good spirits and were filmed on one occasion shaking hands with schoolchildren.

During the visit, the Duchess looked elegant and effortless as she bared her back in a sleeveless peach maxi dress by California designer Heidi Merrick, which was first released in 2018, the year of Meghan’s royal wedding to Harry.

Meanwhile, Meghan’s royal in-laws are officially called The House of Windsor, so the name of the dress seems appropriate given that many observers have noted the similarities between the couple’s 72-hour visit to Nigeria and a traditional royal tour.

Adding a touch of glitz to her ensemble, the mother-of-two sported chunky gold earrings, her AURate necklace and a range of dazzling bracelets.

She completed her outfit with a touch of glamorous makeup, including pink lip gloss, lots of blush and smoky eyeshadow.

Her hair looked just as glamorous, with Meghan opting for a ponytail with soft curls.

Meghan and Harry also wore cultural style pearls reportedly given to them during their trip.

She also appeared to be sporting her beloved $5,500 Ariel Gordon Diamond Hex Tennis bracelet, which was rumored to be a Valentine’s Day gift from Harry this year.

This stunning 14k yellow gold piece features over 1.5 carats of diamonds set in solid gold hexagonal links and is handcrafted in Los Angeles.

She often layers the statement piece with her other jewelry, like her beloved Cartier watch, identical to the one owned by her mother-in-law, Princess Diana.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex met officials and children at Wuse Lightway Academy this morning, hours after arriving in Abuja in the early hours.

Harry spoke to a group of school pupils about mental health and referred to when someone has ‘lost a loved one in your family and you don’t know who to turn to or who to talk to’ .

The duke – who was 12 and his brother William 15 when Princess Diana died in Paris in 1997 – added that there was “no shame in being able to recognize that today is a bad day”.

He also told the kids, “You can have it, she (Meghan) can have it, I can have it.” They can have it. Each of us is likely to suffer from it at any given day.

The couple arrived together just before 5am after a secret meeting yesterday in the VIP Windsor suite at London Heathrow, following the Duchess’ arrival from Los Angeles.

They both boarded the British Airways overnight flight to Abuja, which was slightly delayed after the scheduled pilot fell ill and a replacement had to be dispatched.

The Sussexes, visiting Nigeria together for the first time, were seated in the first class section of the Boeing 777 and were separated from other passengers by a curtain.

It comes after Harry said it was “great” to be back in the UK this week to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. The Duke has been in London since Tuesday to attend pageant-related events, including a thank-you service.

Speaking at the Wuse Lightway Academy this morning, Harry said: “In some cases around the world, more than you think, there is a stigma when it comes to mental health.

“Too many people don’t want to talk about it, because it’s invisible – something in your mind that you can’t see. It’s not like a broken leg, it’s not like a broken wrist, it t’s something we’re still relatively uncertain about.

“But guess what? Every person in this room – the youngest, the oldest – every person has mental health.

He said people need to “take care of themselves so they can take care of other people, and other people need to be able to take care of themselves so they can take care of you,” adding: “That’s how it is that it works.”

The Duke continued: “And there’s no shame in being able to acknowledge that today is a bad day, okay? That you woke up this morning feeling sad; that you were at school and feeling stressed; that you have lost a loved one in your family and you don’t know where to turn or who to talk to. All of these things that you might even be led to believe are not meant for conversation.

He said the Sussexes were “here today to tell you that is not the case.”

Harry continued: “Each of these things is completely normal, it’s a human reaction, whether it’s grief, stress, whatever the feeling. It comes from an experience you’ve had – you can have it, she (Meghan) can have it, I can have it They can have it Any one of us is susceptible to it on any given day.

“So if you take anything away from today, just know that mental health affects every person.”

Nigerian defense spokesperson Brigadier General Tukur Gusau today confirmed that Harry and Meghan arrived in Abuja early this morning.

They will meet with wounded soldiers and their families in what Nigerian officials said was a show of support aimed at improving the soldiers’ morale and well-being.

Abidemi Marquis, Director of Sports at the Nigeria Defense Headquarters, said: “This engagement with Invictus gives us the opportunity to get our soldiers back.”

Harry served in Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter co-pilot, after which he founded the Invictus Games in 2014 to offer veterans and injured service members the challenge of competing in sporting events similar to the Paralympics.

Nigeria was among the nations that participated in last year’s edition of the games.

The Nigerian military has touted the Invictus Games as likely to contribute to the recovery of thousands of its troops who have been fighting local Islamic extremists Boko Haram and their factions since 2009, when they launched an insurgency.

Mr Marquis said: “80% of our soldiers who participated in this recovery program are doing better (and) their life outlook is positive.”

“The recovery program gave them the opportunity to improve their self-esteem, mental health and emotional intelligence.”