Meghan Markle and Prince Harry spoke sweetly about their son Prince Archie’s birthday with a class of students in Nigeria.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in the African nation for a royal-style tour that began today with a visit to the Wuse Lightway Academy in the country’s capital, Abuja.
In a clip from their outing, the couple can be seen sitting on the floor of one of the school’s classrooms as they meet with students eager to meet their royal visitors.
Equally curious are Meghan and Harry, who are told by their young guests that they are “five,” before the Prince gleefully confirms “our son Archie is five… the same age as you.”
Their son, Prince Archie, turned five on May 6, however, not much is known about how the Sussexes celebrated their first child’s special day.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sweetly told a class of students that their son, Archie, turned five “last week” (pictured: Meghan and Harry visit Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja, Nigeria today)
On the same day, a California party planner caused speculation on Instagram when she shared a special balloon arrangement with the words ‘Happy Birthday Archie!’
But today it seemed that the parents of Archie and his little sister, two-year-old Princess Lilibet, were delighted to tell people about the happy occasion.
Adding to her husband’s words, Meghan joked: “That’s right.” She turned five last week!
The couple seemed to delight in chatting with the young men, as they continued to say ‘nice to meet you!’
Meanwhile, the Prince extended the conversation to several students by asking them “how old are you?”
The Sussexes were visibly in high spirits and were once filmed shaking hands with schoolchildren.
During the visit, the Duchess looked effortlessly elegant as she bared her back in a long sleeveless peach dress by Californian designer Heidi Merrick, which is believed to have first launched in 2018, the year of Meghan’s royal wedding. with Harry.
Meanwhile, Meghan’s royal in-laws are officially titled The House of Windsor, so the name of the dress seems appropriate considering many observers have noted the similarities between the couple’s 72-hour visit to Nigeria and a traditional royal tour.
The couple can be seen sitting on the floor of one of the school’s classrooms as they meet with students eager to meet their royal visitors (pictured: Prince Harry shaking hands with a boy).
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in the African nation for a royal-style tour that began today with a visit to the Wuse Lightway Academy in the country’s capital, Abuja.
Some of their young guests tell Meghan and Harry that they are “five years old”
To add a touch of sparkle to her ensemble, the mother-of-two rocked chunky gold earrings, her AURate necklace, and an array of dazzling bracelets.
She accessorized her outfit with some glam makeup, including pink lip gloss, lots of blush, and smoky eyeshadow.
Her hair looked equally glamorous, with Meghan opting for a ponytail of soft curls.
Meghan and Harry also donned cultural-style beads believed to have been gifted to them during their trip.
She also appeared to be sporting her beloved $5,500 Ariel Gordon Diamond Hex tennis bracelet, which was rumored to be a Valentine’s Day gift from Harry this year.
The stunning 14k yellow gold piece features over 1.5 carats of diamonds encased in solid gold hexagonal links and is handcrafted in Los Angeles.
She often places the statement piece on top of other jewelry, such as her beloved Cartier watch, identical to the one her mother-in-law, Princess Diana, owned.
The Prince happily confirmed to a young guest: ‘our son Archie is five… the same age as you’
The parents of Archie and his little sister Lilibet, two, were delighted to inform the young pupils of their son’s birthday.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex met officials and children at Wuse Lightway Academy this morning, hours after their early morning arrival in Abuja.
Harry spoke to a group of students at the school about 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 duke, who was 12 and his brother William 15 when Princess Diana died in Paris in 1997, added that there was “no shame in being able to acknowledge that today is a bad day.”
He also told the kids: ‘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.
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.
The pair boarded the overnight British Airways flight to Abuja, which was slightly delayed after the scheduled pilot fell ill and a replacement had to be found.
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.
The couple met with teachers and staff at Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja, Nigeria.
The Duke and Duchess seemed to enjoy chatting to their guests and were heard saying: “Nice to meet you!”
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.
Speaking at Wuse Lightway Academy this morning, Harry said: ‘In some cases around the world, more than you would 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.
‘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”.
During the visit, the Duchess of Sussex, 42, looked effortlessly elegant as she bared her back in a long sleeveless peach dress by Californian designer Heidi Merrick.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex met officials and children at Wuse Lightway Academy this morning, hours after their early morning arrival in Abuja.
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.”
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.
Marquis said, “80 percent of our soldiers who have participated in this recovery program are improving (and) their outlook on life is positive.”
“The recovery program has given them the opportunity to improve their personal self-esteem, improve their mental health and emotional intelligence.”
