Meghan Markle and Harry's 'presidential visit' shows they 'want to have cake and eat it'
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry undertook this month a whirlwind tour to Nigeria, during which they visited charities and promoted their non-profit work.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's high-profile visit to Nigeria has been described as a "have your cake and eat it" situation by a royal commentator.
The 72-hour, whirlwind trip to West Africa undertaken this month by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was hailed by some commentators as a success for the California-based couple.
The trip was said to be deeply personal for both Meghan and Harry. During their meetings, they were able to continue their work around the Invictus Games, the Duke's paralympic-style event for ill and wounded veterans and military personnel, and women empowerment.
Moreover, Meghan was able to explore her heritage, two years after she revealed during her podcast series Archetypes to have discovered through genealogy tests to be 43 percent Nigerian.
Speaking at an event on women in leadership, the Duchess said: "Every single moment that I hear anyone talk about what it means to be a Nigerian woman, it is the most flattering thing to be in that company."
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Nevertheless, the trip also included aspects - such as a formal welcome and official dinner - clearly reminiscent of a royal tour and also had "all the marks of a presidential visit", according to royal commentator Emily Andrews.
And, as the pair are neither US politicians nor working members of the Royal Family, the trip showed how Meghan and Prince Harry are trying to get the best of both the royal world they left behind and their current private entrepreneurial lives, Ms Andrews suggested.
She wrote in Woman magazine: "As with everything Sussex-related, it was a 'have your cake and eat it' situation.
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"Back in 2020, they made it extremely clear to the late Queen, Charles and William that they did not want to be working royals and would earn their own money instead.
"Yet this tour followed the tried-and-tested royal playbook that was previously so heartily rejected by the Sussexes. But this time, it was on their own terms."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from their senior royal roles in early 2020.
After trying to carve out a role within the Firm that would have allowed them to undertake financial ventures while also representing the Crown from time to time, they agreed to no longer use their HRH styles, relinquished their royal patronages and confirmed they would not undertake any public duty.
Prince Harry has suggested more trips of this kind may happen in the future, as he said: "It is hugely important for us to meet directly with people, supporting our causes and listening, in order to bring about solutions, support and positive change.
"There’s only so much one can do from home and over Zoom, so we look forward to travelling more because the work matters. Whether it’s the Archewell Foundation, Invictus or any of our other causes, there will always be reasons to meet the people at the heart of our work."
