Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, arrived in Lagos on Friday morning for a visit to the Invictus Games, a sporting event founded by Prince Harry for wounded military veterans.
The royal couple was welcomed at Heathrow Airport late Thursday night and arrived in Nigeria on Friday morning. Their visit came as Prince Harry couldn’t meet his father, King Charles, owing to a diary clash.
The Invictus Games is a sporting event founded by Prince Harry for wounded military veterans. Prince Harry and Meghan attended the inauguration of a mental health initiative at a school in Abuja, where they were enthusiastically greeted by the students.
“If you take anything away from today, just know that mental health affects everyone,” Prince Harry said. “The more you talk about it, the more you can kick stigma away,” he added while wearing a traditional Nigerian bead necklace around his neck.
The Invictus Games have grown since their establishment in 2014, promoting recovery through athletic activities. Prince Harry founded the event during his term as an Army captain in Afghanistan.
Last year, Peacemaker Azuegbulam, a former Nigerian soldier who lost his leg while serving, made history by becoming the first African to secure a gold medal at the games held in Germany.
Prince Harry’s brief UK visit came after he made a rare public appearance in Britain on Wednesday but couldn’t meet his father, King Charles, due to a diary clash. “It unfortunately will not be possible due to his majesty’s full programme,” said a spokesperson for Harry, the Duke of Sussex. “The duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”
