It’s ‘Good’ Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Nigeria Trip Resembled Royal Tours, Commentator Says: ‘What They Needed’
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s trip to Nigeria, which has been compared to tours, was a “good” thing for their image. According to a commentator, it not only gave them a “PR win,” but following the “royal playbook” is what they should be doing more of in the U.S.
Returning to the ‘royal playbook’ in Nigeria marked a ‘big PR win’ for Harry and Meghan
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent three days in Nigeria from May 10 to 13, 2024. Commentator Jack Royston said the visit’s similarity to previous tours boosted the pair.
“I think their trip to Nigeria was hugely successful,” he told Sky News (via Newsweek). “It’s what they needed.”
“They are a little more popular in America than they were after Harry’s book [Spare] came out. But it’s great for them, I think, to get back on a positive footing, show themselves doing good, helping charities. It’s really a return to the old-school royal playbook.”
“It got nowhere near as much coverage as the Oprah interview or the Netflix documentary,” Royston continued. “But it got a good hit, and I think that they will be happy with that.”
Despite an awkward moment involving Britain’s national anthem, the visit as a whole went well, he argued. “I think they’ll chalk this up as a big PR win. You can always say there could have been more coverage, but I think that they’ll be happy with it.”
Harry and Meghan ‘should’ be making trips that resemble past royal tours
The commentator went on, saying the Nigeria trip, with all the characteristics of an official royal visit, is how Harry and Meghan should do things ahead.
“They weren’t representing Britain; that point has been clarified, though it probably looked a bit like they were,” Royston said. “It looked very much like the kind of tours they did when they were working royals. I think that’s a good thing.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex went on two major overseas tours while they were still in the royal fold. In 2018, they traveled to Australia, Fiji, Tonga, and New Zealand, seeing 11 cities in 16 days. (The same tour Harry warned Meghan about doing the job “too well.”)
Then in 2019, they traveled to Africa with their now-5-year-old son, Prince Archie, in tow. Despite some drama—Meghan memorably remarked she was “not really OK,” and Harry hinted at friction between him and Prince William for the first time—doing similar tours is a good strategy, Royston claimed.
“Personally, I think it’s exactly what they should be doing,” he said. “I actually think they should do more of these kinds of visits in America.”
“There’s no reason why they couldn’t and just get back on the front foot, showing themselves to be helping and doing good and working in a positive way.”
More international visits from Harry and Meghan depend on multiple factors
Royston said whether Harry and Meghan will embark on more international trips in the future likely depends on a country’s willingness to host in a similar to Nigeria. As in, foot a big portion of the bill.
“I think Nigeria probably paid for a lot of this,” he said. “There might sometimes be diplomatic sensitivities relating to how Britain feels about having Harry and Meghan on what appears on the first glance to be a royal tour. So it all comes down to those kinds of issues.”
Additionally, scheduling may come into play. Harry and Meghan are currently working on two upcoming Netflix shows, producing a rom-com, and launching American Riviera Orcahrd. Not to mention being away from Archie and his sister, Princess Lilibet, 2.
For now, it’s all TBD(to be determined), as Harry and Meghan have yet to announce any other big trips for 2024.
