Last year, at the Invictus games in Dusseldorf, Germany, an acquaintance took place.
The Invictus Games is an international multi-sport for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veterans. The games were founded by Prince Harry, the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence, and with the assistance of Sir Keith Mills. The inspiration came from Prince Harry’s 2013 visit to the Warrior Games in the United States, where he witnessed the ability of sport to help both psychologically and physically. The word ‘Invictus’ is Latin for ‘unconquered’, chosen as an embodiment of the fighting spirit of the wounded, injured and sick service personnel and what they can achieve, post-injury.
Team Nigeria, the first African team to be invited to the event, went ahead to win gold and bronze prizes last year. A round of applause everyone! Following our victory (and because we no dey carry last), Nigeria’s Chief of Defense Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa expressed his wish for Nigeria to one day host the Invictus games. As if that was not enough, he also invited the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, to Nigeria.
Last weekend, the celebrity couple came to Naija.
For a couple who try so very hard to extricate themselves from the uppity presumptuousness of the British royal family, Harry and Meghan, failed rather woefully, I must say. Take for example, their recent visit.
Their much-publicized trip to Nigeria – practically a royal visit in everything but name – appeared to be a resounding success from all involved. Harry delivered a well-received speech about mental health to students, and the couple were swarmed by admirers and well-wishers everywhere they went, all eager for selfies, handshakes, or hugs. Consequently, yours truly, Meghan, always quick to seize an opportunity, announced that she had taken a DNA test showing she was 43 percent Nigerian, which she considered a high compliment: ‘It is a compliment to you because what they define as a Nigerian woman is brave, resilient, courageous, beautiful.’
Complement to who? Us?
Ya Salam! We have suffered in the hands of our colonizers.
The primary reason for the short tour was to promote the Invictus Games in Nigeria and champion mental health for young people (by the Archewell foundation). In 2020, Harry and Meghan founded the nonprofit when they stepped back as working royals. “Our mission is simple: show up, do good. We meet the moment by showing up, taking action and using our unparalleled spotlight to uplift and unite communities—local and global—through acts of service and compassion,” the Archewell Foundation’s website reads. The organization also strives to “uplift and unite communities.”
It all looks and sounds good, abi? Apparently not.
The Archewell Foundation, the couple’s humanitarian initiative, has been barred from soliciting or spending money for the time being due to inconsistencies in paperwork not being filed and fees not being paid on time, receiving the unfavourable designation of ‘delinquent’. The California attorney general has written a stern letter to the foundation’s administrators, urging them to get their act together as quickly as possible. It said that “an organisation that is listed as delinquent is not in good standing and is prohibited from engaging in conduct for which registration is required, such as soliciting or disbursing charitable funds.”
According to reports, the issue stems from the failure to deliver a promised cheque. This has now been reissued, so Archewell should be free of the stigma of delinquency and able to hold out the symbolic begging bowl again soon. As everyone who has ever had a problem with their bank or the account officer knows, such disparities, while frustrating and frequently embarrassing, are a fact of life. However, it is difficult not to believe that the blunder, although entertaining but insignificant on its own, reflects a larger attitude on the parts of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The reason why the Nigeria trip worked well for them both was that it was the perfect display of soft power and influence, conducted entirely on their own terms. When fantasy coincides with reality, the result is usually a let-down.
Nigerians, on the other hand, never miss an opportunity to showcase our brand of hospitality. Even though the pair have dropped their royalty status, they were treated as such. It did not matter that the couple stepped down as senior royals in January 2020. The couple have kept their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles, but are no longer addressed as his or her royal highness (HRH). It did not matter that the British High Commission chose to turn a blind eye to the couple’s visit, Nigerians, on our part chose to roll out our red carpets as if it was the King himself who was visiting. Watching their arrival on TV reminded me of the stories I grew up hearing about Queen Elizabeth and the Duke’s (‘Dukkan Adunbura’, according to my Hausa people) visit in 1956 where she was greeted with much fanfare. She was hosted to a garden party in Lagos, much like the dinner thrown for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Their visit also brough back memories of Princess Diana’s visit to Nigeria in 1990. Memories of a beautiful Diana, in a mint green dress and hat, standing with the equally elegant and regal Maryam Babangida at Lagos airport still remains clear in my mind’s eye.
During their visit, Meghan joined female industry leaders such as Okonjo-Iweala to discuss the importance of mentorship for young women and the career challenges women face in a country like Nigeria, where it is not common for women to be in top leadership and political positions. The event, held for an audience of 50 leading women from across Nigerian society and politics, business, media and culture, kicked off with the duchess and Dr Okonjo-Iweala taking part in a panel discussion, moderated by the Nigerian media mogul Mo Abudu, who runs Africa’s first global black entertainment lifestyle network.
Like I said, the couple’s visit was by any standard a success. However, the notion that the Duke of Sussex will become a global ambassador for change and make the world a better place, while admirable, clashes with the fact that his wife has recently created a lifestyle business that has released an expensive type of jam as its first product (£200, can you believe it? Even though, to be fair, we are not her target audience). There is little doubt that Harry’s involvement with mental health issues is genuine, as evident by the deeply honest and intimate memoir of his life and struggles, and his journey towards finding purpose and duty in the Royal family. Yet it is hard for me to take his noble intentions as seriously as they would otherwise deserve when the suspicion remains that this visit is as much a PR opportunity for Brand Sussex as it is a genuine statement of outreach. At this rate, we might just hear an announcement of another Netflix show or another similar promotional opportunity about Harry and Meghan!
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