Harry & Meghan Set To Take Part In 'Cultural Activities' In Nigeria After Invictus Event In UK

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly visiting Nigeria to take part in the country's "cultural activities," days after the duke's trip to the UK for the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.

The country's Chief of Defence Staff reportedly invited Harry to the African nation after their meeting in Germany last September.

According to the Daily Mail, the non-working royals will tour Nigeria in an unofficial capacity after accepting an invitation from the country's Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Gwabin Musa, to take part in "traditional cultural activities."

The scheduled visit to the West African country, their first together as a couple, has reportedly left the country's defense headquarters feeling "honored" and "delighted," as Harry and Meghan are lined up to meet service members and their families.

Nigeria is reportedly interested in hosting an Invictus Games sometime soon, and with Meghan revealing that she's 43% Nigerian, their visit couldn't have come at a better time.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams doesn't believe their trip to the Commonwealth nation is a ploy to return to public duties after resigning as senior working royals in 2020.

"It's [the visit to Nigeria] a very good face-saver with Meghan not coming to Britain and shows a bit of PR nous," Fitzwilliams said.

The Duchess of Sussex will be particularly excited about her trip to Nigeria as she previously revealed that she is 43% Nigerian after conducting a genealogy test.

Meghan made the shocking revelation while speaking on an episode of her "Archetypes" podcast titled "Upending The Angry Black Women Myth" in 2022.

During a discussion with comedians Issa Rae and Ziwe Fumudoh, she shared that she was going to start digging deep into her ancestry as she claimed black women have been stereotyped as "angry."

Speaking to Nigerian-American comedian Fumudoh, the mother of two declared, "I just had my genealogy done a couple years ago... [I'm] 43 percent Nigerian."

She added, "'I'm going to start to dig deeper into all this because anybody that I've told, especially Nigerian women, are like 'What?!'"

A notably shocked Fumudoh said that Meghan's revelation was "huge for our community," adding, "No, honestly, you do look like a Nigerian. You look like my Aunt Uzo. So this is great."

It remains to be seen how the couple would make good on their scheduled trip to Nigeria as Harry's visit to the UK for the Invictus Games 10th anniversary comes just days before said trip.

A spokesperson for the Invictus Games confirmed that Harry would be taking a reading at the event, scheduled to be held on May 8, with actor Damian Lewis lined up to recite the Invictus poem.

"The Invictus Games Foundation will celebrate 10 years of changing lives and saving lives with a 'Service of Thanksgiving' at St Paul's Cathedral on May 8th," a statement published on the Games' social media page reads.

"We will be joined by our Patron, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, actor Damian Lewis, and members of the worldwide Invictus Community to mark the occasion," they added.

The Invictus Games is Harry's multi-sport initiative, first held in 2014, for wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veterans.

The Duke of Sussex is unlikely to travel with the former "Suits" actress as the event will be held two days after their son Archie celebrates his fifth birthday.

Harry's trip to the UK for the Invictus Games event is his first since February, when he made a quick dash to see King Charles after news of his cancer diagnosis became public knowledge.

At the time, he said that he was "grateful" to have seen his father in person during a brief 24-hour visit and hoped that the diagnosis could have a "reunifying" effect on the Royal Family.

It remains uncertain as to whether he will visit his sister-in-law, Kate, as it's the first time he'll be in the country since she disclosed her cancer diagnosis in a video message to the nation last month.

According to the Daily Mail, Royal experts say it is "unlikely" that he will meet with the Princess of Wales after falling out with her and his brother Prince William.

"I'm sure he won't see Kate. But to reassert his royalty and his titles to enhance his brand, he will make a huge effort to be seen visiting his father, the King. I would be surprised if Meghan came," Tom Bower shared.

Fitzwilliams also doesn't seem to think they'll be mending broken ties with Harry's visit, saying, "Katherine is undergoing preventative chemotherapy treatment and given how deep the rift is, to me it seems unlikely."

"The only hope of reconciliation is that it would happen privately, and we wouldn't know," he added.