Richard Fitzwilliams says a trip abroad for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would create a huge amount of publicity

Richard Fitzwilliams has warned that with some senior royal figures out of the spotlight as they fight cancer, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex can step in to focus attention on themselves.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visit the Lightway Academy in Abuja, Nigeria

Richard Fitzwilliams says Harry and Meghan could capitalise on the ‘success’ of their trip to Nigeria

Harry and Meghan would draw a huge amount of publicity that the Royal Family couldn’t currently match, the royal expert says

The 74-year-old said that Harry and Meghan had drawn a huge amount of publicity during what he called their “faux royal tour” of Nigeria and could capitalise on that with their upcoming visit to Columbia.

Mr Fitzwilliams told The Sun: “The problem with Royal Family at the moment is that they are simply not able to do something which attracts attention on the same level – and attention is important if you’re royal.”

He said that with King Charles and the Princess of Wales both fighting their own health issues, this left a “vacuum” that less senior royals were unable to fill.

“There’s little doubt there is a vacuum. One’s really talking about really high profile royals.

“Of course, the Princess Royal and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and others do sterling work and carry out visits abroad.

“But they are not particularly high profile and I don’t think they particularly want to be.

“The institution does need this oxygen.

“There’s also no doubt that Harry and Meghan discovered this in what I would describe as their faux royal tour to Nigeria.”

Mr Fitzwilliams said that with the “success” of their trip to Nigeria, a visit to Columbia would create a huge about of publicity – on the Royal Familly could not currently match.

He said: “It’s going to take an enormous amount of publicity and the Royal Family will not be able to match that in any way that I can foresee.”

Mr Fitzwilliams feared that the Sussexes could use that publicity to take pot shots at the Royal Family.

He said: “They’ve shown in the last couple of weeks they’re not afraid to bring up material that would embarrass the Royal Family or refer to rifts with it.

“And that’s only a step away from overtly criticising it.

“They would say that they’re doing their own thing in a way they feel they are best able to do it.

“What it will do, however, will be to draw attention to the Sussexes and not to the Royal Family, at least not to the Royal Family in a positive way because the Sussexes and the Royal Family have a very deep rift. That’s the problem.”

Mr Fitzwilliams’ comments come just a few days after Harry and Meghan were personally invited to spend a few days in Colombia by the country’s Vice President Francia Márquez.

It is understood they will jet over in November when their schedule will include trips to capital Bogotá, and Pacific regions Cartagena and Cali.

Inside Sussexes’ trip to Nigeria

THE Duke and Duchess are spending three days in Nigeria to promote the Invictus Games.

The Sussexes will be taken to a hotel when they first touch down today, then visit the Light Academy, a school in nearby Wuse, before meeting defence leaders and visiting injured soldiers.

Tomorrow Harry’s set to field a team during a seated volleyball match played by Nigeria’s Invictus team, before he and Meghan meet with more soldiers and their families.

That afternoon Meghan will host a Women in Leadership event with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a Nigerian-American economist who is director general of the World Trade Organisation.

Then, on Sunday, the Sussexes will head along to a basketball clinic that promotes youth getting into the sport, enjoy a cultural reception and visit a polo fundraiser.

Vice President Márquez added she is “confident” the Sussexes’ visit will “illuminate Colombia’s role as a beacon of culture and innovation”.

It will be Harry and Meghan’s second “faux royal tour” after visiting Nigeria in May.

The couple spent three days in the West African country, meeting with locals and leaders.

While there, they unveiled a partnership between their Archewell Foundation and the non-profit Giants of Africa, which aims to empower young people through sport.

The couple soon jetted back to the United States after they watched a charity exhibition match at Lagos Polo Club.

Harry and Meghan could use the increased publicity to continue their rift with the Royal Family, Mr Fitzwilliams fears

Both King Charles and the Princess of Wales have been largely out of the spotlight as they battle cancer