Yahoo Lifestyle Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Receive Festive Welcome in Lagos on Final Day of Nigeria Tour
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have stepped out for their last day in Nigeria
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Abuja, NigeriaMeghan Markle and Prince Harry stepped out for their last day in Nigeria tour in a festive way.
On Sunday, May 12, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were greeted at the airport in Lagos for the third and final day of their trip to Nigeria with a typically noisy and acrobatic dance performance.
Prince Harry, 39, and Meghan, 42, — who wore a white Carolina Herrera button down teamed with a traditional Nigerian skirt gifted to her during their visit to Abuja — were greeted with a festive welcome from the state governor, local dancers and well-wishers who came to see them.
This included a moment where a young boy was thrown between two dancers and where the couple gasped and clapped as the dancers were hoisted up and created human towers.
After arriving at Lagos airport from Abuja, Harry and Meghan headed to a local school to take part in a basketball clinic with non-profit Giants of Africa.
In March 1990, Prince Harry’s parents King Charles and Princess Diana received a similarly warm welcome when they arrived at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos for an official visit.
Prince Harry and Meghan are in Nigeria at the invitation of the Chief of Defense Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa OFR, the country’s highest-ranking military official, and the final day of their official itinerary is full of stops in Lagos. After the basketball clinic with Giants of Africa, they will attend a cultural reception and conclude the day at a polo fundraiser for Nigeria: Unconquered.
The national charity dedicated to veterans works in collaboration with the Invictus Games Foundation, bringing the close of Harry and Meghan’s trip full circle. It was previously announced their visit to Nigeria would highlight Prince Harry’s adaptive sports tournament for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans, which Nigeria made its debut at the latest cycle of the competition in Düsseldorf, Germany in September 2023.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s visit to Nigeria is significant as their first international tour since stepping back from their royal roles in 2020 and began on May 10. The trip may be especially poignant for Meghan, who revealed on her Archetypes podcast in 2022 that she learned she is 43% Nigerian after having her genealogy done "a couple of years ago."
During the first outing at Lightway Academy in Abuja on the first day, Meghan spoke from the heart to schoolchildren during the GEANCO Foundation’s inaugural mental health summit when she said, "I see myself in all of you." Later in the day, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited the Chief of Defense Staff headquarters, where Meghan left a message alluding to her heritage.
Related: Meghan Markle's Maxi Dress in Nigeria Included an Unexpected Nod to the Royal Family
"With gratitude for the support of the Invictus community. And for welcoming me home," she wrote in the visitor’s book on May 20 in her signature calligraphy. Prince Harry even commented on his wife’s penmanship, noting, "She has beautiful handwriting" — no surprise as Meghan previously worked as a calligrapher!
As seen in a photo taken by PEOPLE’s chief foreign correspondent Simon Perry, who is exclusively covering the Nigeria trip, the Duke of Sussex also shared his own sincere message in the book.
"Thank you for welcoming us to your beautiful country, together we will heal our troops," Prince Harry wrote.
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have met with several service members and participated in a variety of cultural activities while in Nigeria, some with an Invictus Games connection. Nigeria’s Minister of Defense Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Badaru has also expressed interest in hosting the competition in the future, should Nigeria be granted the opportunity.
As a former captain in the British Armed Forces and founding patron of the Invictus Games, advocating for veterans and their families has long been close to Harry's heart. He paid a solo trip to the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Kaduna in Kaduna on May 10, where his empathy for his fellow veterans shone as he toured the wards.
In a speech at a reception for military families and the widow association at the Defense Headquarters Officers Mess in Abuja on May 11, Harry shared his “heartfelt gratitude” to the Chief of Defense Staff and the Defense Minister.
"Your reception and energy have been nothing but remarkable," he said.
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