Accompanied by his wife Meghan Markle, Prince Harry received a warm reception during their overseas trip, invited by Nigeria’s chief of defence staff. However, a specific incident has drawn criticism from royal commentators.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex faced admonishment for their motionless stance during the rendition of the British national anthem. Despite their visit's purpose of advocating for the Invictus Games and engaging with injured servicemen, their lack of participation during the anthem at a reception honoring military families prompted swift criticism.
During a segment on GB News with Nana Akua, royal commentator Angela Levin remarked, "Harry was stood there absolutely frozen. He hated it. They didn't move their mouths one tiny bit to sing along." Nana Akua praised the inclusion of the anthem as "genius" by the Nigerians.
Levin suggested that Harry and Meghan's actions were out of respect for King Charles, attempting to avoid overshadowing him. She criticized Harry's involvement in initiatives, arguing that as a non-working member of the Royal Family, it wasn't his role to lead such efforts. She hinted at a potential implication that the couple aimed to assume a leadership role in addressing challenges faced by the Royal Family.
Nana Akua noted that despite the controversy, the Nigerians remained unaffected by the incident. This marked Harry and Meghan's first overseas tour since stepping down as senior royals in 2020.
Royal author Tom Quinn added fuel to the fire, reporting King Charles's anger towards Harry's refusal to acknowledge the damage caused to the family. Quinn told The Mirror, "King Charles is still absolutely furious at his younger son’s refusal to see how much damage he has done to the family. Harry knows that no one is fooled by his father’s flimsy excuses for not seeing him."
Despite the backlash, Harry and Meghan hinted at potential future trips to Nigeria, suggesting that more such tours could be in the pipeline.
