Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's three-day "tour" of Nigeria is actually much more than meets the eyes, according to royal experts.
"The couple needs positive PR as they are often reminded of their failures," broadcaster Helena Chard told an outlet. "They also seem to crave power and seek things to elevate themselves. The Invictus Games elevates them in the world of philanthropy, and anything to do with Invictus is a guaranteed great press moment."
"Harry and Meghan will try and achieve as much press and attention as possible," Chard added. "I would be surprised if they didn’t call in pool coverage. I also wouldn’t be surprised if they had Netflix cameras following them, especially as one of the cultural activities is a polo game… their few days in Nigeria will have the feel of a royal tour, albeit a pseudo royal tour."
Chard continued: "They are not working royals, but want and need to keep up a royal image."
The couple's visit to Lightway Academy in Abuja, which is backed by the pair's "in the red" Archewell Foundation, saw the pair speak candidly about mental health.
"… A few weeks ago, she looked at me and saw her reflection in my eyes," the Duchess told the students when mentioning Princess Lilibet Diana, 2. "She said, 'Mama, I see me in you.' Now, she was talking literally, but I held onto those words in a different way. I thought, 'Yes, I do see me in you, and you see me in you.' But as I look around this room, I see myself in all of you as well."
"In some places around the world, more than you would believe, there is a stigma against mental health," Harry told the assembled student body and faculty. "Too many people don't want to talk about it because it's invisible, it's in your mind and we can't see it."
HRH continued: "But guess what, every single person in this room, the youngest, the oldest, every single person has mental health. So therefore, you have to look after yourself in order to be able to help other people, other people have to look after themselves in order to be able to look after you. That's the way it works."
The Duke, who admitted to having "no emotion" in the years following Diana, Princess of Wales' sudden 1997 death, further shared with students: "There is no shame to be able to acknowledge that today is a bad day. OK? If you woke up this morning feeling sad, if you left school feeling stressed, if you've lost a loved one in your family who you usually turn to or speak to, all of these things you may be led to believe are not for conversation. We are here today to tell you that that is not the case."
Fox News reported on Chard's remarks.
