Day One: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Speak on Mental Health in Abuja

The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle and the Duke Prince Harry arrived this morning in Abuja, where they visited the Lightway Academy as well as the GEANCO Foundation.  

Their visit, aimed at promoting mental health for young people in conflict-prone areas and raising awareness for the Invictus Games founded by Harry to aid in the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, marks their first international tour since they resigned from their royal duties.

Markle wore a minimalist Heidi Merrick peach maxi dress for the visit, during which she shared a touching story about her three-year-old daughter, Lilibet, while Harry delivered a speech on mental health

According to Harry, mental health was an issue not addressed as much as it needed to be addressed.

 “In some cases around the world, in more than you would believe, there is a stigma when it comes to mental health,” he said.

“Too many people don’t want to talk about it because it’s invisible. It’s something in our mind that we can’t see. It’s not like a broken leg. It’s not like a broken wrist.”

“It’s something that we are still relatively unsure of. But guess what? Every single person in this room, the youngest, the oldest, every single person has mental health,” he continued.

“So, therefore, you have to look after yourself to be able to look after other people. And other people have to be able to look after themselves, to look after you. That’s the way it works. And there is no shame to be able to acknowledge that today is a bad day, okay?”