The Duke and Duchess of SusđâŻđ are embarking on their first international tour since relocating to the U.S.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games on Sept. 13, 2023. PHOTO:
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are set for their first visit to Nigeria!
The Duke and Duchess of SusđâŻđ will kick off their visit to the west African country on Friday, May 10, PEOPLE confirms.
PEOPLEâs chief foreign correspondent Simon Perry will join the trip to Nigeria, covering the Duke and Duchess of SusđâŻđâs various outings.
Prince Harry, 39, and Meghan, 42, were invited to by Nigeriaâs Chief of Defense Staff, the countryâs highest-ranking military official. Upon their arrival on Friday morning, the couple will visit a school. They will then meet with the Chief of Defense Staff. In the afternoon, Harry will meet injured servicemembers at a military hospital.
On Saturday, the couple will attend a training session for the organization, Nigeria: Unconquered and a reception hosted by the Chief of Defence Staff in honor of military families.
In the afternoon, Meghan will co-host an event of Women in Leadership with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organization.
Prince Harry arrives for the Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paulâs Cathedral in London on May 8, 2024.
On Sunday, The Duke and Duchess will attend a basketball clinic with Giants of Africa, a cultural reception, and a polo fundraiser for Nigeria: Unconquered.
Prince Harry spent a few days in London this week to mark the tenth anniversary of his Invictus Games, the competition for wounded, injured and sick veterans and serving armed forces members, and the commemoration was highlighted by a Service of Thanksgiving Service at St. Paulâs Cathedral in London.
Notably, while his celebration was taking place at the Cathedral, his father King Charles was only two miles away at Buckingham Palace, where he hosted a garden party. The father and son did not meet in the two days that Harry was in the city, due to what was said to be the Kingâs âfull schedule. The prince was âunderstanding of his fatherâs diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon,â a spokesperson for the Duke of SusđâŻđ said.
The visit to Nigeria will continue with the Invictus Games theme, highlighting the adaptive sports competition for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans which Nigeria participated for the first time at the latest cycle in Germany in September 2023.
Prince Harry attends an Invictus Games panel on May 7 in London.
Meghan Markle Wonât Join Prince Harry in the U.K. Next Month Before Heading to Nigeria Together
The Nigerian Minister of Defense, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Badaru also attended the event, and has expressed willingness to host the games in the future should Nigeria be granted the opportunity.
PEOPLE confirmed Harry and Meghanâs trip on April 28, and the Duke and Duchess of SusđâŻđ are expected to meet with service members and participate in a variety of cultural activities during the visit, which may be especially poignant for Meghan.
Meghan Markle Gets a New Nickname Meaning âRoyal Wifeâ from Team Nigeria at Invictus Games
In 2022, the Duchess of SusđâŻđ revealed that she had discovered via a geneology test that she was 43% Nigerian. Talking about it in her  podcast, she told comedian Ziwe, âIâm going to start to dig deeper into all this because anybody that Iâve told, especially Nigerian women, are like âWhat!â â
âThis is huge for our community,â Ziwe, 30, said. âNo, honestly, you do look like a Nigerian, you look like my Aunt Uzo. So this is great.â
Prince Harry and Meghan also spent time with the Nigerian team at the latest Invictus Games, where they posed for photos and gave Meghan a special nickname meaning âroyal wife.â