King Charles and Prince William are, according to The Mirror, decidedly not pleased about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s three-day visit to Nigeria earlier this month, which felt like a quasi-royal tour of sorts. The trip did, indeed, feel like a harkening back to their visits abroad of yesteryear, when both were still working royals prior to their step back in January 2020. (Harry said that he and Meghan hope to travel more and be on the ground with people in the coming year, as Marie Claire reported on last week.)
The Nigeria trip, held from May 10 to May 12, came just on the heels of Charles’ perceived snub of Harry earlier in the week, not finding time in his diary to see his younger son while Harry was in the U.K. celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the Invictus Games. Add to it that, in the same week, William was given a military appointment that once seemed destined for Harry, and the Duke of Sussex was reportedly left “in tears.”
The Mirror writes that, for their Nigeria visit, Harry and Meghan went “‘rogue’ after carrying out an unofficial royal tour in Nigeria,” which “has reportedly left King Charles and Prince William ‘furious,’” the outlet reports. Royal author Tom Quinn told the outlet that “William is absolutely furious and determined to find a way to stop this happening in [the] future,” Quinn said. “Charles is said to be angrier than anyone has ever seen him.”
According to Quinn, “what’s really upset the applecart” is that Harry and Meghan’s hosts in Nigeria treated the couple like they, too, thought it was an official tour, Quinn said—“all the signs were there as the couple were greeted with dances, receptions, visits to schools and charities,” he said. Quinn added that there had been concerns within the royal family that Harry and Meghan “would try to pull a fast one,” and that the Nigeria trip “has confirmed their worst fears.”
Quinn added that it was “easy to see why the senior royals are worried” and that “William and Charles are scratching their heads and thinking, ‘How are we going to control this nightmare situation?’” It’s all, apparently, because the visit felt too much like an official royal tour, with Quinn adding that “William and his father, King Charles, don’t like it one bit” because “For Charles and William, it’s as if Meghan and Harry are saying, ‘We don’t need your permission to be working royals—we will do it on our own terms, whenever and wherever we like.’”
Harry, speaking to People, said “These trips are about us being able to go out and go and focus on the things that mean so much to us,” he said. “And being able to be on the ground, to us, is what it’s all about.” He added “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,” Harry said. “There’s only so much one can do from home and over Zoom, so we look forward to traveling more, because the work matters.”
There’s room enough in this big ol’ world for working royals and non-working royals to visit and make impact—but hey, that’s just our two cents.
