Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Plan Major International Trip

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will visit Nigeria next month to celebrate the anniversary of the Invictus Games - and perhaps plan for the event's future.

By Michael Hein

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are heading to Nigeria together later next month to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games. The international trip has drawn a lot of attention to the couple, as many expected them to visit the rest of the royal family in the U.K. while they were out. Prince Harry will make a stop in the U.K. next week, but Markle won't join him, meeting up in Nigeria instead.

Prince Harry is hopping on a plane for international events related to the Invictus Games – the sporting event he created for disabled military veterans, which is now a decade old. As previously reported, he will begin by flying to the U.K. to celebrate the games' anniversary and attend a service at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. On Sunday, PEOPLE reported that Markle will join her husband afterward in Nigeria for another round of Invictus events. She will still be sitting out the visit to the U.K., and it's still unclear whether Prince Harry will visit with his father, King Charles III or his sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, both of whom are in treatment for cancer.

Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 РDay 5
(Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)

In Nigeria, Prince Harry and Markle will meet with military service members and will participate in several cultural activities. They are visiting on behalf of the Chief of Defense Staff – the highest-ranking military official in Nigeria. Nigeria was one of three newcomers to the 2023 Invictus Games, along with Colombia and Israel. The Nigerian Minister of Defense, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Badaru, has reportedly suggested that his country would be willing to host the event at some point in the future.

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Prince Harry and Markle have highlighted their connections to Nigeria since Markle took a genealogy test in 2022, discovering that she is 43 percent Nigerian herself. At the 2023 Invictus Games, Prince Harry joked: "Now, I'm not saying we play favorites in our home, but since my wife discovered she's of Nigerian descent, it's likely to get a little bit more competitive this year."

Pundits will have a close eye on Prince Harry's visit to the U.K., and will undoubtedly have something to say about Markle's absence. Prince Harry flew to the U.K. shortly after the king announced his cancer diagnosis just to visit him, but Markle and their children stayed in the U.S. They did not visit at all when Middleton announced her cancer diagnosis a few weeks later. The dynamic within the royal family is a matter of rampant speculation, but in official statements, Prince Harry and Markle have expressed love and well-wishes for Middleton.

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