In today’s Article, I want to take a look at the recent trip to Nigeria by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry and share some strong opinions expressed by a senior Nigerian official about Meghan’s behavior and actions during the visit. Now before we get into it, I just want to say that this is my perspective on the situation and there could definitely be details I’m missing.
However, based on the information available, this official seemed to have some valid criticism of Meghan. Now with that out of the way, let’s dive into the details. To backtrack a bit, Meghan and Harry went on a brief visit to Nigeria last month as part of their tour of Africa.
During the trip, they met with government officials, did some charity work to promote causes like girls’ education, and even attended a reception hosted by the British High Commissioner.
From the outside, it seemed to be a fairly standard royal visit, meant to help shine a spotlight on important issues in the country. However, after the Duke and Duchess left, One senior Nigerian politician decided to speak out publicly about his experience with Megan during the trip, and he did not hold back in his criticism of her behavior and attitude. The official, who wished to remain anonymous, gave an explosive interview where he called out Megan for what he described as arrogance, self-absorption, and treating Nigerian people and traditions with disrespect during the visit. He said that from the moment she arrived, It was abundantly clear that Meghan saw herself as a major celebrity deigning to visit Nigeria rather than a representative of the British royal family there to forge stronger diplomatic ties.
The official said that while Harry exhibited polite interest in learning about the country and its people, Meghan barely hid her boredom and displeasure the entire time. He went on to provide some specific examples of Meghan’s poor behavior.
First, he said that at the reception hosted by the British High Commissioner, Megan was extremely rude to Nigerian guests who just wanted a moment to speak to her. He claimed she would barely make eye contact, give one-word answers and find excuses to walk away after only a minute of interaction. The official said it was clear she felt she was above mingling with ordinary Nigerians. By contrast, he said Harry took time with everyone and even recalled small details from previous conversations. The official also took issue with Meghan’s attire and demeanor at a traditional welcoming ceremony the royals participated in.
He said she showed up wearing an extremely casual sundress and wedges, which was inappropriate given it was a formal cultural event. Meanwhile, all the Nigerian women were dressed in their finest traditional garb. He also said her body language seemed bored and impatient the whole time. The official even said that at one point, Harry subtly nudged Meghan and gave a look telling her to smile. which she barely mustered up. Perhaps one of the most shocking claims was that Meghan was so dismissive of Nigerian culture, she refused to participate in a customary clearing ritual at the ceremony where female visitors are expected to sweep the floor as a sign of humility. The official said all the other royal women, including Kate Middleton on past visits, took part happily but Meghan point-blank told event organizers she would not get on the floor and sweep.
