Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have faced harsh criticism from British media figures for their recent visit to Nigeria. The couple traveled to the country to celebrate the Invictus Games, a tournament founded by Prince Harry for wounded soldiers.
Kevin O’Sullivan, a presenter on TalkTV, was particularly vocal, claiming Nigeria was an inappropriate destination for a royal visit. “The royal family doesn’t just go anywhere. These tours are planned years in advance, and the countries that the royals honor with their visits are very carefully chosen. There’s no way our royal family would set foot in Nigeria,” O’Sullivan said, citing issues like female genital mutilation, lack of women’s rights, and kidnappings by extremist groups.
Royal correspondent Michael Cole supported O’Sullivan’s stance, labeling Nigeria as a dangerous destination. “The foreign office and the American State Department both say it’s a dangerous destination, you must not go there. It vies with Johannesburg, South Africa to be the murder capital of the continent,” Cole asserted. He also criticized the high levels of internet fraud originating from Nigeria.
These comments follow backlash against another British journalist, Christopher Wilson, who faced severe criticism for comparing Nigerians to Nazis in reaction to the royal visit.
Despite the criticisms, King Charles III has visited Nigeria multiple times, including trips in 1990, 1999, 2006, and 2018.
