Nigeria?

[MaturingCheeseball]

Can this be true? That Harry and Meghan are off on a “royal” trip to Nigeria? What’s the game now? My head is spinning!

They will be there working representing Invictus.
You do know other people visit government officials and visit projects? It is not just the Royals who do this.

I'm not sure why someone who has no involvement with Invictus is travelling to another continent to 'represent Invictus'.

Can you link to the official announcements from Invictus and from the Nigerian government?

Unfortunately not, AutumnCrow, and believe me I've tried

Of course Invictus isn't alone in this and many expenses can be hidden under "fundraising costs" in all manner of charities, but I agree it would be good to know more

Edited for typo

What do you mean??
Harry is the founder and patron.

Harry didn't found it, did he?
It was taken on by the Royal Foundation as a version of the Warrior Games in the US. The RF gave it to Harry.

Sure.

But Meghan has no involvement with Invictus. It existed for years before Harry even met her.

That's why I ask what you mean when you say 'they' are 'representing Invictus'. How can someone 'represent' an organisation they are not a part of? Unless her role is trailing wife, leaving their small children on another continent to visit a very dangerous country. Not terribly feminist.

Why did she make that (strange) speech in Dusseldorf? She's there as the spouse of a patron. She has no official role.

She seems to be a very dominant figure in it, though, mostly about the expensive clothes.

@IsoldeWagner Harry founded Invictus.

"Back in 2013, Prince Harry visited the Warrior Games, a competition for wounded servicemen organized by the U.S. Department of Defense, and was so inspired by the organization that he "stole" (his words) the idea and brought it back to the UK. "He saw how the power of sport could help physically, psychologically and socially," reads the Invictus Games website. "His mind was made up. London would host the inaugural Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick Service personnel."
Just one year later, the first Invictus Games took place in London."

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a12044088/what-are-the-invictus-games-competition/

I'm not particularly bothered about Meghan being at an Invictus event per se. It's the fact that she will be merching whatever overpriced wardrobe she is wearing, and using civilians as a backdrop for her fashion and beauty parade. Whole threads will be dedicated to her earrings. It happens every time she goes anywhere. The people supposedly being highlighted are lost. And before anyone starts on the Catherine whataboutery, she is at these events in her own right, highlighting causes as their patron, more often than not taking part in an event like a sport, not trailing about with no other use and holding onto her husband for dear life. Her fashion choices are secondary.

No, he wasn't the founder. It was given to him by the RF.

The reality is they are being wooed by a corrupt country who think this would be an asset to have to improve their image. They have millions if not more to squander on this while the majority of their people are multidimensionally poor. I

Too true, @AnnieSF .
I'm actually confused by the Invictus visits - the one a few months back was actually a year before the event! Why do that?!

Perhaps Meghan will wear some High Street off-the-peg ordinary clothes made of vibrantly-patterned cotton or linen. Is it certain that she will wear very expensive clothes and jewellery? Sorry, I haven't read all through yet so perhaps it has been announced that she'll be wearing some amazing designer stuff, or is that speculation at the moment? She wore a shirt-waister in Australia which I rather liked, but I hope it didn't cost a bomb or two. It looked like M and S best, 1973.

Harry was the one who had the idea, he directed those working for the Royal Foundation to come up with a plan for it, which the Royal Foundation did, Harry, William and Catherine were all heavily involved in the early days.

From the Royal Family official website.

It began on a trip to the Warrior Games in the USA in 2013, when Prince Harry saw how the power of sport could help wounded servicemen and women in their recovery - physically, psychologically and socially.

His mind was made up. London would host the inaugural Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick Service personnel.

He directed his charity, The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, to deliver the games in partnership with the Ministry of Defence.

I saw a film about it and definitely he was significantly guided, helped and supported. The RF then ensured that it was his project.
I think it was the best thing they did for him.

No one is claiming Harry made every phone call or wrote every email. Of course he had staff working on it. But he was the Founder and is now the Patron.

Technically he didn't have the idea himself, he was inspired by the Warrior games in the US.

Indeed. He is very fortunate that he was given that massive opportunity.

Perhaps Harry and/or Meghan see her in some kind of 'First Lady' role? Anything is possible.

The Americans made it, I stole it and we made it bigger,” Harry said

It is simply what most senior members of the Royal Family do. Charles founded the Princes Trust. Philip founded Duke of Edinburgh. Both are the founders and had staff working on the initiative for them. It is nothing unusual. It is simply that so many of you want to attack Harry for any made up reason.

No, there are plenty of reasons to be critical of Harry.

Yes, Harry acknowledges at every opportunity that Invictus was inspired by the Warrior Games, to make into the opportunity as an international Olympics for veterans, plus other supports.

And Earthshot was "inspired" by Moonshot and copied another large environmental prize, and the Early Childhood focus was inspired by the work already being done by the Scandinavians.
All have teams who put these initiatives together and have W&K as the face and patrons. They have all been given these massive opportunities.

What's the problem?