It’s been four years since Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan made the radical announcement that they would be stepping back as senior members of the British royal family—a decision that involved uprooted their family and moving from the United Kingdom to the California coastal town of Montecito. In a new interview, Meghan says she and her husband are both “really happy” now.
This past weekend, the two embarked on a three-day trip to Nigeria at the invitation of the country’s chief of defense staff, General Christopher Musa. In the West African country, they met with various organizations and veterans to spotlight the upcoming Invictus Games. “These trips are about us being able to go out and go and focus on the things that mean so much to us,” Harry told People. “And being able to be on the ground, to us, is what it’s all about.”
Meghan added, “It’s really meaningful. Just being able to connect to people…that’s what makes it special.”
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Since they are no longer working royals, the trip wasn’t an official royal tour—but it still drew comparisons to the Sussexes’ last visit to Africa, in 2019. It was then, just months before the couple announced their royal exit, that Meghan had tearfully opened up about the emotional toll of living life under intense scrutiny and near-constant criticism at the hands of the British press. (She famously remarked during her conversation with ITV’s Tom Bradby: “Thank you for asking, because not many people have asked if I’m okay.”)
Today, Meghan seems to have come out the other side of that challenging period. She told People, “We’re just doing great. And happy to be watching our family grow up and evolve. Of course, I’m happy. We’re really happy.”
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In Nigeria, the couple carried out a series of engagements that included talking about mental health with schoolchildren, meeting injured veterans at a military hospital, and speaking at a panel discussion about women in leadership.
“I always reflect back on myself as a young girl and the type of inspiration that I wanted to see in other women. I hope in some small way, I can be a part of that for a lot of these young girls especially,” Meghan said. “I saw myself in them. I see the potential in all of these young girls—and, by the way, in these young boys as well.”
She continued, “It’s what we see in our own children—to give them that promise and excitement for their futures.”
As an associate editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, Chelsey keeps a finger on the pulse on all things celeb news. She also writes on social movements, connecting with activists leading the fight on workers' rights, climate justice, and more. Offline, she’s probably spending too much time on TikTok, rewatching Emma (the 2020 version, of course), or buying yet another corset.
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