Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left schoolchildren ecstatic as the duke spoke of “losing loved ones” as Meghan told them not to “suffer in silence” during a visit to a school on the first day of their 72-hour tour for Nigeria.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex met children at Wuse Lightway Academy this morning, just hours after their early morning arrival in Abuja.
Wearing a flowy coral dress, Meghan told the assembled school, which is supported by the couple’s Archewell Foundation, that she can “see me” in each of them, and asked them to “be honest with each other.” .
And Harry, who appeared alongside her on the green stage, defended the importance of mental health and referred to when someone “has lost a loved one in their family and doesn’t know who to turn to or who to talk to.”
The couple left the children cheering as they delivered their message.
Meghan told the children: ‘When I look around this room, I see myself in all of you too.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja this morning
Harry and Meghan chat as they meet children at the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja today
Prince Harry greets students as he arrives at Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are welcomed at the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja today
Meghan takes a selfie with students as Harry looks on at Wuse Lightway Academy today
Meghan takes a selfie with students as Harry looks on at Wuse Lightway Academy today
‘That’s why it is a complete honor to have our first visit to Nigeria and to be here with all of you.
‘We believe in all of you, we believe in your future, we believe in your ability to continue to tell your stories and be honest with each other.
‘There is no need to suffer in silence. Just make sure you take care of yourself (and) your mental health.
‘So thank you all. Thank you to these teams, to our CEO of the Archewell Foundation, whose birthday is today.’
Prince Harry evoked memories of his suffering after the death of his mother Princess Diana as he spoke to school children this morning.
The duke, who was 12 and his brother William 15 when Diana died in Paris in 1997, added that “there was no shame in being able to acknowledge that today is a bad day.”
He said: ‘In some cases around the world, in more cases than you might believe, there is a stigma when it comes to mental health.
‘Too many people don’t want to talk about it because it’s invisible, something that’s in your mind and you can’t see. It’s not like a broken leg, it’s not like a broken wrist, it’s something we’re still relatively unsure about.
Harry and Meghan begin their tour of Nigeria today with a trip to the Wuse Lightway Academy
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja this morning
Harry and Meghan at the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja today as they talk to the children
Prince Harry greets students as he arrives at Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja today
James Holt (left), executive director of the couple’s Archewell Foundation, today in Abuja.
‘But guess that? “Every person in this room, the youngest, the oldest, every person has mental health.”
He said people had to “take care of themselves so they can take care of other people, and other people have to be able to take care of themselves so they can take care of you,” adding, “That’s how it works.”
The Duke continued: ‘And there is no shame in being able to admit that today is a bad day, okay? That you woke up this morning feeling sad; that you were at school feeling stressed; that you have lost a loved one in your family and you don’t know who to turn to or who to talk to. All these things that they can even make you believe are not for conversation.
He said the Sussexes were “here today to tell you that is not the case”.
Harry continued: ‘Each of those things is completely normal, it’s a human reaction, whether it’s pain, stress or any feeling. It comes from an experience you’ve had: you can have it, she (Meghan) can have it, I can have it. They can have it. Chances are, each and every one of us will have it on any given day.
“So if we take anything away from today, we should know that mental health affects all people.”
The couple arrived together shortly before 5am after a secret meeting in the Windsor VIP suite at London Heathrow Airport yesterday after the Duchess arrived from Los Angeles.
They then boarded the British Airways overnight flight to Abuja, which was slightly delayed after the scheduled pilot fell ill and a replacement had to be found.
The Duke of Sussex smiles during his visit to the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja today
Harry and Meghan take part in games at the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja today
The Duchess of Sussex gestures as she arrives at the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja today
People walk past a sign welcoming Harry and Meghan to Abuja, Nigeria, this morning.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja this morning
The Duke and Duchess watch dancers at the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja this morning.
The Sussexes, who were visiting Nigeria together for the first time, were seated in the first class section of the Boeing 777 and were separated from other passengers by a curtain.
It comes after Harry said it was “great” to be back in the UK this week to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. The duke had been in London since Tuesday to attend events related to the competition, including a thanksgiving service.
Nigerian defense spokesperson Brigadier General Tukur Gusau confirmed today that Harry and Meghan arrived in Abuja early this morning.
They will meet with wounded soldiers and their families in what Nigerian officials say is a show of support to improve soldiers’ morale and well-being.
Abidemi Marquis, Director of Sports at the Nigerian Defense Headquarters, said: “This engagement with Invictus gives us the opportunity to get our soldiers back.”
Harry served in Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter gunner co-pilot, after which he founded the Invictus Games in 2014 to offer wounded veterans and service members the challenge of competing in sporting events similar to the Paralympic Games.
Nigeria was among the nations that participated in last year’s edition of the games.
The Nigerian military has touted the Invictus Games as one that could help the recovery of thousands of its personnel who have been fighting local Islamic extremists Boko Haram and its factions since 2009, when they launched an insurgency.