King Charles III is reportedly furious that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got such a warm welcome on their visit to Nigeria last week. The Sussexes were there to promote the Invictus Games sporting event, but the pomp and circumstance of their reception didn’t sit right with the king. Sources close to him said that he felt this amounted to an “unofficial royal tour” with no oversight.
Royal expert Tom Quinn told The Mirror that King Charles was “angrier than anyone has ever seen him” after he heard about Prince Harry’s visit to Nigeria. He added: “William is absolutely furious and determined to find a way to stop this happening in future… What’s really upset the applecart is the fact that the Nigerians treated Meghan and Harry as if they too thought this was an official tour – all the signs were there as the couple were greeted with dances, receptions, visits to schools and charities.”
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Prince Harry and Markle stepped down from their official royal duties in 2020 – though Prince Harry would later claim that Markle was not really offered a chance to work for the monarchy as other spouses typically do. They left England and moved to California to pursue opportunities in the entertainment industry, but their association with the monarchy comes with some implicit benefits. According to this report, the couple is in danger of benefiting too much from that unofficial connection.
Quinn went on to say that the king and his heir have been concerned about how Prince Harry would use his royal social capital for some time now. They worried he “would try to pull a fast one,” and this trip to Nigeria “has confirmed their worst fears.” Quinn went on: “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?’”
Nigeria joined Prince Harry’s Invictus Games for the first time last year, and the country will host the competition in 2025. Prince Harry and Markle visited the country to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the games. While this was a legitimate reason for the trip, Quinn argued that it was still conducted similarly to a royal visit, giving it an unnerving connotation. He said that they should not have visited schools and charities while there, and that their “speeches and their whole attitude has been designed to give the impression that they are still fully paid-up royals and William and his father King Charles don’t like it one bit.”
