William, Prince of Wales, launched a major initiaitve with his Homewards charity in Cornwall, England, on Thursday, May 9, but his visit was ultimately "overshadowed." Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrived in Nigeria at the same time to begin their "tour" of the nation, which stole the focus from the future king.
This led GBN royal correspondent Cameron Walker to state: "You'd be forgiven" [for] "mistaken in thinking that the two of them were still working members of the royal family," before adding that both are "playing it out like a royal tour."
"Harry and Meghan are no longer working members of the royal family," Walker continued. "This does appear to play out like a royal tour, even though it's not officially one. King Charles is head of the Commonwealth, and he has not had a chance to visit Nigeria yet. Prince Harry couldn't even see the King when he was in the U.K. because the King's diary was too busy a few days ago."
The royal analyst further added: "And what it's also done is overshadow Prince William's visits to the Scilly Isles, his first time as Duke of Cornwall."
Host Tom Harwood offered a glimmer of positivity for the Sussex trip by adding that diplomatic ties, be it through the monarchy or two of its outliers, "can only be a good thing" for Britain, Nigeria and the Commonwealth.
Walker replied: "There was lots of optimism when Harry married Meghan back in 2018, because they could have been a real asset to the working royals in terms of shoring up relationships with these Commonwealth nations."
When Harry wed Meghan on that spring day in 2018, numerous royal insiders and analysts claimed that the late Queen Elizabeth II wanted the Commonwealth to become the couple's "life's work." The pair would only tour Australia, New Zealand, and Southern Africa before ditching the monarchy in March 2020.
Walker also highlighted how the royal rebels are fashioning a more "diplomatic" delivery and aesthetic in both their outings and speeches.
"I have seen a noticeable shift with Harry and Meghan in the last few months," Walker observed. "The statements we're getting from them appear to be a lot more diplomatic. For example, when they told us that Harry was not going to be seeing his father, the statement from his spokesperson that Harry was very understanding of that fact, suggests to me that he wants to build a better relationship with the working royals."
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to spend three days in the African nation and prioritize tour sites connected to their "in the red" Archewell Foundation.
