Prince Harry and Meghan Markle enjoyed a tour of Nigeria last week, but one royal expert thinks the couple's warm welcome to the country upset Prince William.
"William is absolutely furious and determined to find a way to stop this happening in the future," Tom Quinn told an outlet. "Charles is said to be angrier than anyone has ever seen him."
"What’s really upset the applecart is the fact that the Nigerians treated Meghan and Harry as if they too thought this was an official tour – all the signs were there as the couple were greeted with dances, receptions, visits to schools and charities," he continued.
According to Quinn, the couple's visit "confirmed their worst fears."
"It’s as if Harry and Meghan have gone rogue – their Nigeria trip is a bold statement that they refuse to accept they are no longer working royals," he explained. "William and Charles are scratching their heads and thinking, 'How are we going to control this nightmare situation?'"
The duke and duchess left the royal fold in 2020, but they continue to use their royal titles professionally.
The Sussexes were invited by the Nigerian Defense Headquarters to visit Lagos and Abuja, but Quinn believes they were treated as royals.
"Everything you might expect from an official royal visit was there – the receptions, the visits to schools and charities, to wounded soldiers and the disabled," Quinn noted. "Meghan and Harry's speeches and their whole attitude has been designed to give the impression that they are still fully paid-up royals and William and his father King Charles don’t like it one bit."
"For Charles and William, it’s as if Meghan and Harry are saying, 'We don’t need your permission to be working royals – we will do it on our own terms whenever and wherever we like,'" he shared.
OK! previously reported a former royal staffer commented on the shift in the Sussexes' evolving brand.
“Harry and Meghan have different priorities because they are no longer working royals," the former royal staffer continued. "But of course, the vast majority of the world is ignorant of such distinctions and regard Harry and Meghan as every bit as representative of the royal family as William and Charles, so if these rival foreign tours become a regular thing, it could muddy the waters."
"The reason they went to Nigeria was to promote Invictus (the Paralympic-style event Harry set up) — and themselves. That’s not what royal tours are about,” they added.
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The Invictus Games founder hinted at taking on additional international trips to further promote the sporting event and Archewell.
“It is hugely important for us to meet directly with people, supporting our causes and listening, in order to bring about solutions, support, and positive change," Harry shared. "There’s only so much one can do from home and over Zoom, so we look forward to traveling more because the work matters."
"Whether it’s the Archewell Foundation, Invictus, or any of our other causes, there will always be reasons to meet the people at the heart of our work," he concluded.
Quinn spoke to The Mirror.