Might Harry and Meghan’s original Megxit plan actually have worked?

The ‘Megmania’ witnessed during the Sussexes’ tour of Nigeria suggests that their blueprint – to be ‘half-in, half-out’ royals – had merit, says Sean O’Grady

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, receives flowers upon her arrival in Lagos, the Nigerian capital (AFP via Getty Images)

It may not have been an official “royal visit”, but anyone watching the coverage of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visiting Nigeria, in aid of the Invictus Games and its charitable foundation, could have been forgiven for thinking that it was.

The pair have some celebrity and fame, and no one, leastways outside palace circles, seems all that fussed about whether the pair are classified as “working” or “non-working” royals: “Megmania” gripped this part of west Africa, in any case. Harry is a Prince, his wife is a duchess, his dad is the king and head of the Commonwealth, and no amount of alienation or briefing can alter that. In Lagos State, he was given a prince’s welcome.

The warm reception by officials, the formal events, including a fundraising banquet, larking about with the kids, selfies, Harry playing sit-down volleyball with the disabled ex-service personnel involved in the Invictus Games…well, it was as if Megxit had never happened.