Meghan Markle Will Not Be a part of Prince Harry within the UK Earlier than Nigeria Journey

Meghan Markle is not going to be part of Prince Harry on his upcoming journey to London to mark a milestone anniversary of the Invictus Video games.

The Duchess of Sussex, 42, is not going to accompany her husband throughout his journey to the U.Ok. in early Could for the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Video games. Prince Harry based the adaptive sports activities event for service personnel and veterans in 2014, and the inaugural Invictus Video games have been held in London. On Could 8, the anniversary will probably be celebrated with a service at St. Paul’s Cathedral within the coronary heart of the town, with the Duke of Sussex, 39, set to ship a studying.

Prince Harry and Meghan relocated to her residence state of California after stepping again from their royal roles in 2020, and the Duchess of Sussex was final within the U.Ok. in September 2022. The couple was in Europe for a collection of occasions with a few of their longtime charities when Queen Elizabeth died at age 96 at Balmoral Fort in Scotland. 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stayed overseas for the funerary occasions that adopted earlier than returning residence to the U.S. and reuniting with their son, Prince Archie, 4, and daughter, Princess Lilibet, 2. Prince Harry has made a number of solo journeys to England since, together with for varied courtroom circumstances towards British newspaper teams, the coronation of his father King Charles in Could 2023 and most lately to go to his dad following the information of the monarch’s most cancers analysis.

The Invictus Video games anniversary service on Could 8 at St. Paul’s Cathedral is anticipated to be attended by representatives from throughout the event’s collaborating nations, together with members of the wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veteran group. Neighborhood members, supporters and beneficiaries may even give readings and take part within the service, which will probably be led by The Very Reverend Andrew Tremlett, Dean of St. Paul’s. 

The cathedral is the place the long run King Charles and Princess Diana married in 1981.

Following the Duke of Sussex’s Could go to to the U.Ok. for the Invictus Video games anniversary, which is able to embody a number of different Invictus Video games Basis-related occasions, he will probably be joined by Meghan in Nigeria. PEOPLE confirms that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have accepted an invite to go to the African nation subsequent month on behalf of its Chief of Protection Employees, the highest-ranking navy official.

Through the go to, Prince Harry and Meghan will meet service members and take part in a wide range of cultural actions.

The journey will spotlight Harry’s Invictus Video games, which welcomed 500 athletes to the 2023 video games in Düsseldorf, Germany, and doubled as Nigeria’s occasion debut. Nigeria was a brand new entrant on the newest video games alongside Colombia and Israel, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex frolicked with the Nigerian staff. Nigerian Minister of Protection, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Badaru additionally attended the competitors in Germany and has expressed willingness to host the video games ought to the nation be granted the chance.

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In his opening speech in Germany, Prince Harry even revealed that his spouse was rooting for the squad after discovering that she has Nigerian heritage. 

“Now, I am not saying we play favorites in our residence, however since my spouse found she’s of Nigerian descent, it is more likely to get just a little bit extra aggressive this 12 months,” Harry joked at Invictus kickoff in September 2023.

The remark adopted the Duchess of Sussex’s revelation on a 2022 episode of her podcast, Archetypes, that she realized she was 43% Nigerian by a family tree take a look at.

On the Invictus Video games in Düsseldorf, Prince Harry and Meghan posed for a photograph with Crew Nigeria and the nationwide flag. The athletes introduced them with a plaque from the Chief of Protection, plus a brand new nickname for the Duchess of Sussex. 

Meghan was given the identify “Amira Ngozi Lolo,” which has a royal that means. Amira is the identify of a warrior princess from a legend, whereas Ngozi means “blessed” and Lolo means “royal spouse.”

In February, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex traveled to Canada for the Invictus Video games Vancouver Whistler 2025’s One Yr to Go celebrations, counting right down to the video games there subsequent 12 months. On the winter kickoff, returning Crew Nigeria athlete Peacemaker Azuegbulam opened up about what it meant to have Meghan’s help. 

“It makes me really feel good. It makes me really feel cherished that she actually cares about Crew Nigeria,” Azuegbulam advised PEOPLE in Whistler. “We’re completely satisfied for the love being proven by them and recognize the efforts to convey the Invictus Video games to Nigeria.”