In a whirlwind 72-hour trip to Nigeria, Harry and Meghan appeared to be on official duty, much like they were when they were working members of the royal family, engaging in public interactions to wield soft power.
But wait, wasn’t Megxit partly driven by their desire to avoid such ceremonial obligations? Didn’t the couple see these diplomatic photo ops, ribbon-cutting ceremonies, and speeches in bland settings as pointless endeavors?
“I can’t believe I’m not getting paid for this,” Meghan Markle reportedly said during her official royal tour of Australia in 2018, as detailed by Valentine Low in his book “Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown.”
Although she appreciated the attention, Meghan seemed puzzled by the purpose of countless walkabouts and handshakes with strangers. Funny how walkabouts are starting to seem appealing now, isn’t it?
Following a week where Meghan was notably absent from the Met Gala and a lavish private party hosted by her neighbor Gwyneth Paltrow, and Harry’s UK trip to promote the Invictus Games, Meghan arrived in Nigeria — her self-proclaimed “motherland” — to celebrate her own achievements.
Yes, that’s precisely how one should refer to a foreign country when their husband, a royal prince, has seemingly been sidelined by his father, the king, and the entire royal family in their actual homeland.
Nigeria is a country that Meghan hasn’t visited since the Queen’s passing, except for a brief encounter at the VIP lounge at Heathrow, where she met her husband en route to Africa.
But, according to Meghan, who claims to be 43 percent Nigerian, this apparently makes her Nigeria’s “people’s princess.” After declaring Nigeria as “my country” — with subtlety, as always — Meghan proceeded to praise herself under the guise of complimenting her host nation.
Of course, no specific quote was attributed to her. Perhaps she’s learned from her past missteps, like the “Lion King” and Mandela incidents. Instead, we’re left with a collective sentiment in the air.
At a Women in Leadership event, Meghan co-hosted, turning the focus back on herself: “What has been echoed so much in the past day is, ‘Oh, we are so not surprised when we found out you are Nigerian.’ It is a compliment to you, because what they define as a Nigerian woman is brave, resilient, courageous, beautiful.”
Just when you think Meghan’s sense of self-importance couldn’t get any more inflated. Because when we think of emotional stability, balanced responses, and a generally positive outlook on life, who else comes to mind but the Sussexes?
