Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 'planning royal-style tour in Africa'
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are said to be planning a 'faux-royal' tour.The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been accused of using their titles for publicity and mixing charitable engagements with commercial ones when they visited Australia earlier this month.The backlash by some have prompted called for the couple to stop carrying out 'royal-style' tours altogether.But the couple - who tied the knot in 2018 before leaving The Firm two years later - are now understood to be planning a similar venture across Africa.It is thought Harry and Meghan will visit a number of large cities and carry out philanthropic projects - just as they did in Australia.READ MORE: The disturbing digital trail left by racist monster who raped Sikh woman he thought was MuslimOne source said: "They’re not calling it a royal tour, but that’s exactly how it’s being designed."Africa is the focus, and the scope is big."Think Commonwealth-level visibility without the royal stamp."It walks like a royal tour, talks like a royal tour, and that’s the issue."The destination would be deeply personal for Harry, who has often described Africa as his second home.His first trip there was at 13, shortly after the death of his mother Princess Diana, Mirror reports.Recalling the trip, the Duke of Sussex previously said: "I first came [to Africa] in 1997, straight after my mum died."My dad told my brother and me to pack our bags.READ MORE: Secret to getting the best of BirminghamLive's stories"We were going to Africa to get away from it all."Royal journalist Rob Shuter said in his substack Naughty But Nice that a source believes Harry and Meghan are likely to carry out philanthropic engagements, selected media appearances, and revenue-generating opportunities during this trip.But some have questioned the purpose of the Australia trip.Meghan, 44, who is mum to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, was criticised when she encouraging fans to 'call me Meg'.Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the BirminghamLive newsletter here.One source said: "Encouraging people to basically 'call my Meg' is being seen by critics as a carefully curated attempt to project approachability, but it is clashing with a long-established perception of her as a multi-millionaire figure with exacting, and well-known diva standards."For some, it comes across less as genuine warmth and more as a calculated rebrand that does not entirely ring true."Speaking to RadarOnline.com, the insider added: "This kind of informality feels staged, particularly given the level of privilege and expectation that surrounds her, and that disconnect is what people are reacting to so strongly."
