Meghan Markle prefers travelling to Nigeria where she is likely to have a “good PR” opportunity over visiting England due to the risk of being “booed” by royalists who “don’t really like her very much”, a royal expert has said.
The Duchess of Sussex will not join her husband, Prince Harry, on his trip to London to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games next week.
The ceremony will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral and last time the couple were there for a service during the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, they were cheered by many royal fans but were also booed by some people.
But just days after Harry travels to England, Meghan will join him on a trip to Nigeria, where they will have talks about the Invictus Games and will be offered security by the Nigerian government.
According to Newsweek royal correspondent Jack Royston, Meghan will have “a very positive welcome” in Nigeria, which she would not have in the UK.
Addressing the incident in which some people booed Harry and Meghan during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Mr Royston told The Royal Report podcast: “The centerpiece of this visit is a service of Thanksgiving for Invictus at St Paul’s Cathedral. Now the last time Meghan went there, Meghan and Harry were booed by royalists. That was during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
“There were cheers as well, but there were certainly boos, and that was during a similar service of Thanksgiving.” Noting that the Duchess might want to avoid a similar incident, Mr Royston said: “By contrast, Meghan will obviously get a very positive welcome in Nigeria.
“So, she may simply be choosing guaranteed good PR over the possibility of another moment of hubris at the hands of monarchists who don’t really like her very much. Meghan has generally been a great supporter of Invictus. She’s continued to attend the tournaments, and also not just the actual games themselves, but the ‘one year to go’ promotional events, too.
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“So, why not this one in Britain, especially since it’s a whole program marking the 10-year anniversary? It’s a long time until it’s going to be the 20-year anniversary. You’d think that she would want to be there.”
Now, an expert said it is “wise” that Meghan will not travel to the UK with Harry. “It’s a wise decision that Meghan isn’t accompanying Harry to the UK for the Invictus Games,” public relations guru Lynn Carratt revealed exclusively to The Mirror. She said: “This event is one of Harry’s greatest accomplishments, that he was already involved in before meeting Meghan.
“If Megan were to return to the UK, the press coverage of the Invictus Games service would likely be overshadowed by her presence, which neither Harry nor Meghan would want.” Lynn then added: “Additionally, there is some hostility towards Meghan in the UK, and it’s understandable that she wouldn’t want to subject herself to negative press or public reception.”
And a royal expert said Meghan would have “terrible memories of the past” if she returned to the UK. According to Charlotte Griffiths, the Mail on Sunday’s Royal Editor, the Duchess will not return to the UK as she “knows she would get a bad reception”.
The expert said it is “sad” that Meghan will not be by her husband’s side, noting Harry will be “so lonely” as he usually attends Invictus events with his wife. Ms Griffiths told GB News: “It’s a really important part of Harry’s soul, and the kind of thing he’d want his wife, maybe even his kids by his side for.
“Meghan is leaving him there alone, and I just think he’s going to cast a really lonely portrait of a man without his friends around him, without his family and without senior members of the Royal Family. And no wife there with him as well.” During a conversation with GB News host Patrick Christys, the royal editor said travelling to the UK would be “really difficult” for Meghan and would bring up “terrible memories” of the past.
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