- - King Charles to Host Nigeria State Visit Following Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's High-Profile Trip

Janine HenniFebruary 10, 2026 at 1:58 AM

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(Left) King Charles at Clarence House on Jan. 21, 2026; (Right) Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Lagos, Nigeria on May 12, 2024

Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty; KOLA SULAIMON/AFP via Getty

Buckingham Palace has announced a state visit from Nigeria

King Charles will host Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and first lady Oluremi Tinubu in March

The update comes after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle traveled to Nigeria in May 2024 for a trip full of philanthropic stops

King Charles will soon host a state visit from Nigeria, nearly two years after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited the African country.

On Feb. 7, Buckingham Palace announced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria accepted the King's invitation for a state visit in March.

"The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accompanied by the First Lady, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, has accepted an invitation from His Majesty The King to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom from Wednesday, 18th March to Thursday, 19th March 2026," the palace statement announced.

"The King and Queen will host the State Visit at Windsor Castle," it added about where King Charles and Queen Camilla will host the diplomatic trip.

🇬🇧🇳🇬 The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accompanied by the First Lady, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, has accepted an invitation from His Majesty The King to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom from Wednesday, 18th March to Thursday, 19th March… pic.twitter.com/YqxAQO08Sa

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) February 7, 2026

The royal family's website explains that state visits are an important way for Britain to strengthen its relationships with other countries and that such trips are arranged through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

There are two types of state visits that working members of the British royal family traditionally undertake. Outward state visits are when the British royals travel abroad, while incoming state visits are when foreign monarchs, presidents or prime ministers come to visit the U.K.

Inward state visits to Britain usually last for a few days, and the royals are known to bring out all the stops, from ceremonial welcomes to luncheons and state banquets with tiara moments for Queen Camilla and Kate Middleton.

Kate Middleton, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, King Charles and others at a state banquet at Windsor Castle on Dec. 3, 2025.

CARLOS JASSO / POOL / AFP via Getty

The incoming state visit from Nigeria will be the first in 37 years, with three previous state visits from Nigeria taking place in 1973, 1981 and 1989 during the late Queen Elizabeth's reign.

King Charles and Queen Camilla, 78, have previously visited Nigeria, and the monarch most recently met with President Tinubu at Buckingham Palace in September 2024.

King Charles and President of Niheria Bola Ahmed Tinubu at Buckingham Palace on Sept. 11, 2024.

Aaron Chown - Pool/Getty

In May 2024, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited Nigeria at the invitation of Nigeria's Chief of Defense Staff, the country's highest-ranking military official.

It was their first such international philanthropic trip since they stepped back from their senior royal roles in the U.K. in 2020 and moved to the U.S.

PEOPLE's chief foreign correspondent Simon Perry joined the trip and exclusively covered the couple's various outings. The agenda included stops at a school, a training session for the veterans' charity and Invictus Games Foundation partner Nigeria: Unconquered, a military hospital tour for Prince Harry, 41, and a women in leadership event for Meghan, 44.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in Abuja, Nigeria on May 10, 2024.

Andrew Esiebo/Getty Images for The Archewell Foundation

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There, the Duchess of Sussex called Nigeria "my country" and spoke about the connection she felt after learning that she is 43% Nigerian through a genealogy test a few years ago.

Later that summer, Prince Harry and Meghan embarked on a similar trip to Colombia.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”