Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been pictured in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, as their three-day visit to the West African country begins.
The couple were reunited at London Heathrow following Harry’s brief trip to the UK, with his wife flying over from Los Angeles to meet him at the terminal on Thursday night.
The Duke of Sussex had attended a series of engagements in London in connection with his work with Invictus, although he did not have the chance to meet King Charles or Prince William while he was here.
Harry and Meghan flew on an overnight British Airways flight to Abuja, where they travelled in first class and were separated from the rest of the passengers by a curtain.
They landed on Friday morning and just a few hours later they were photographer being entertained by children at the Wuse Lights Academy, laughing and smiling.
Friday May 10 is the couple’s first day in Nigeria, with Harry and Meghan due to visit the Nigerian Defence Headquarters in Abuja as one of their first stops.
The Sussex itinerary was revealed on May 9 at a press conference held by Defence HQ as they said the couple would be meeting the country’s security chief.
They will also travel to the state of Kaduna to visit the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital where they will spend time with injured and recovering soldiers.
On Saturday, May 11, the Prince will watch a novelty volleyball match between the Chief of Defence’s Staff team and the Duke’s own team, while Meghan has her own programme.
She will co-host a Women in Leadership event with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the first woman and first African to serve as Director-General of the World Trade Organisation.
Following that a reception will be held, giving Harry and Meghan the opportunity to meet with families and loved ones of soldiers killed in action, and other service members.
Sunday May 12 is their last full day in Nigeria and will see them travel to Lagos, the country’s biggest city, to visit Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and attend a “basketball clinic” called Giants of Africa, held at a local school.
The couple are due to fly back to the US on Monday, but before they leave they will be hosted at a final reception of prominent Nigerians.
The visit will be hugely significant for the Duchess, who revealed on her podcast Archetypes that she is 43 percent of Nigerian heritage.
Invictus is also a key theme of the trip as the couple were in fact invited to Nigeria by the Chief of Defence during the last Games in Germany in 2023.
Last year’s Invictus was the first time that Nigeria had taken part, with Harry saying in a speech: “Now, I’m not saying we play favourites in our home, but since my wife discovered she’s of Nigerian descent, it’s likely to get a little bit more competitive this year.”
