The Royal Family cannot prevent Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from visiting foreign countries, but they can intervene, according to an expert.

Despite stepping down from royal duties in 2020 and being banned from official engagements, Harry and Meghan recently spent three days in Nigeria. Their visit included promoting the Invictus Games, visiting a school, and inspecting a military parade—activities reminiscent of a full royal tour.

 

Tom Sykes, royal editor for The Daily Beast, told The Express, “Everywhere they went in Nigeria, they were greeted as royalty.”

Harry and Meghan’s visit to Nigeria, which appeared much like a state visit, was at the invitation of Christopher Muse, Chief of Defence Staff of the West African nation, aiming to promote the Invictus Games. Nigeria is considering hosting the sporting event in the future.

Critics argue that these visits promote the couple’s personal initiatives. Sykes noted, “The royals can’t stop them from doing more tours, but the government might seek to apply serious diplomatic pressure on friendly states not to host these quasi-royal tours.”

He believes more visits like the one to Nigeria are likely, suggesting that “Harry and Meghan are effectively declaring that they will continue to leverage their royal status.”