The Queen will be ‘delighted’ by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s success during their ‘uniquely informal’ and ‘brilliantly unorthodox’ Africa tour, a royal expert claims
- Meghan and Harry have been unusually informal for royals during trip to Africa
- Seen hugging and dancing and Meghan opted not to wear her engagement ring
- The Queen is set to be ‘delighted’ by success of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
- Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams says response to couple has been ‘electrifying’
From hugging and dancing to publicly showing their affection for one another, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal tour has been ‘uniquely informal’ so far – and the Queen is said to be ‘delighted’.
The Duke, 35, and Duchess of Sussex, 38, have ignored traditional protocol and offered a ‘brilliantly unorthodox’ approach during their 10-day trip to Africa, according to one royal expert.
Speaking to the Express, Richard Fitzwilliams said: ‘The way Meghan and Harry have handled their tour in South Africa so far has been uniquely informal, from hugging and dancing to Meghan not wearing her engagement ring.
The Duchess of Sussex sits on the floor as she visits the mothers2mothers (m2m) charity in Cape Town, South Africa, on Wednesday
Prince Harry is greeted by Tlotlo Moilwa during a visit to the Kasane Health Post, run by the Sentebale charity, in Kasane, Botswana
‘This is unusual for a royal tour but the Sussexes have already shown they do things their way.’
Praising Meghan’s speech in which she told the deprived township of Nyanga, in Cape Town, that she was speaking to them as ‘a woman of colour and your sister’, Mr Fitzwilliams said it had an ‘electrifying response’.
‘Their main appeal is clearly to the young and it is brilliantly unorthodox,’ he added. ‘I am sure that the Queen, who cares so deeply about her beloved Commonwealth, will be delighted at their successes.’
The public reaction to the pair’s tour has been largely reminiscent of the period around their wedding, when their romance and nonconformity was celebrated.
But prior to the tour, the Sussexes suffered major blows to their popularity.
From hugging and dancing, to showing affection to one another, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal tour has been ‘uniquely informal’ so far – and the Queen (pictured) is expected to be delighted by this, according to Mr Fitzwilliams
It followed demands for privacy, with the pair refusing to name their son Archie’s godparents, and wilful extravagance, including a £2.5million refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.
The duke and duchess also faced accusations of hypocrisy, when enjoying no fewer than three lavish breaks abroad by private jet after preaching to the world about climate change.
Before Team Sussex headed for Africa, a royal insider said: ‘It’s pretty obvious to everyone that there can be no ifs, no buts, it has to go well for them.
‘All Royal tours are traditionally fantastic opportunities to generate positive publicity, but this one really matters.’
Having a whale of a time! Meghan beamed as she danced with local girls in Nyanga, Cape Town on Monday
Joining in the fun! Harry also got a dance with a local woman as the couple made quite the impression on the Nyanga community