Meghan Markle has provided a heartwarming update on how she, Prince Harry, and their children are doing four years after they swapped royal life for a private existence in Southern California.
"We’re just doing great," the Duchess of Sussex told People during the couple's recent three-day visit to Nigeria, in West Africa. "And happy to be watching our family grow up and evolve. Of course, I'm happy. We're really happy."
The duchess' words are all the more poignant when compared with the last time she was undertaking an official visit to Africa, in 2019.
At the time, she and the duke, who were still working royals, brought their baby son Archie to South Africa together, with Harry going on to visit Malawi, Angola, and Botswana solo.
Back in 2019, Meghan made headlines when she admitted on camera to journalist Tom Bradby that she was "not really OK" as she attempted to balance royal duties with being a new mom and a newlywed.
ITV's @tombradby spoke to Meghan as he gained exclusive access to the royal couple as they toured Africa for 10 days with their son Archie.The documentary, Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, airs on Sunday at 9pm on @ITV #HarryandMeghan https://t.co/Uy21iE6ozJ pic.twitter.com/XYlHVytiHFOctober 18, 2019
Of course, some 18 months later in March 2021, we would hear more about how difficult she was finding royal life, during her interview with Oprah Winfrey—when she admitted to feeling suicidal before she and Harry stepped down from royal duties.
The Sussexes' recent Nigerian visit was reminiscent of royal tours, in that they packed in many official engagements with local leaders and organizations, but this time, the tone felt different—as they were visiting as private citizens (albeit with great influence).
"These trips are about us being able to go out and go and focus on the things that mean so much to us," Prince Harry told People. "And being able to be on the ground, to us, is what it’s all about."
Meghan added, "It's really meaningful. Just being able to connect to people...that's what makes it special."
Harry also stressed how important this particular trip was to him on an emotional level. "You know what Africa means to me over the years," he said. "It is a very, very special place, and to be able to include Nigeria now [in the Invictus Games], I’m very happy."
