Meghan Markle ‘reveals Princess Lilibet loves to dance’ as she and Prince Harry boogie to Jump Up, Turn Around with school pupils in Abuja
Meghan Markle has revealed her daughter, Princess Lilibet, loves to dance, as she joined a group of schoolchildren for a boogie today.
The Duchess of Sussex, 42, spoke to pupils at the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja about her two-year-old daughter has developed a natural rhythm while she and Prince Harry joined them for Jump Up, Turn Around.
The BBC reported that, while chatting to the students, Meghan said Lilibet’s favourite class is dancing, adding: ‘Maybe it’s all the jumping around.’
She also spoke to the pupils about an exhibition of robot cars coming up – at which point the Duchess suggested she wanted to return to see them.
The sweet moments came as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex began their unofficial ‘royal’ tour of Nigeria today, which will last for three days.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined in with a dance of Jump Up, Turn Around as they joined children at the Wuse Lightway Academy
As the Duke and Duchess danced with the children, Meghan performed a perfect twirl while Harry’s dance moves looked a little less refined and he pulled an awkward face as he appeared to struggle to keep up.
At one point, Meghan burst into laughter and put a supportive hand hand on Harry’s arm, while the children bopped with delight and sang along.
Elsewhere during the school visit, Meghan and Harry each addressed the students in a speech.
The couple spoke about mental health at the school supported by their Archewell Foundation, with Meghan encouraging them to ‘just be honest with each other’.
While chatting to the pupils, Meghan revealed her daughter Lilibet’s favourite class is dancing and joked it was probably because of ‘all the jumping around’
Harry also said: ‘If you see your friend in your class not smiling, what are you going to do? Are you going to check in on them? Are you going to ask them if they’re OK? Because it’s OK not to be OK.’ Handing the mic to Meghan, she added: ‘Do you see why I married him? He’s so smart. And so inspiring because he speaks the truth.’
Meghan – who was wearing a long Heidi Merrick ‘Windsor’ dress worth an estimated £450 – told the pupils: ‘As I look around this room, I see myself in all of you as well. So it is a complete honour to have our first visit to Nigeria, be here with all of you.
‘We believe in all of you, we believe in your futures, we believe in your ability to continue telling your stories and to just be honest with each other. There is no need to suffer in silence. Just make sure that you’re taking care of yourselves.’
Meghan also praised James Holt, the executive director of the Archewell Foundation who has joined them on the trip, for his work – adding that his ‘birthday is today’.
Meghan takes a selfie with students as Harry watches at the Wuse Lightway Academy today
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja this morning
Harry and Meghan clap as they meet children at the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja today
Harry and Meghan take part in games at the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are welcomed to the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja today
Meghan Markle waves as she and Harry visit the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja today
Harry gave his own speech about mental health, evoking memories of his suffering after his mother Princess Diana’s death when he referred to people who have ‘lost a loved one in your family and you don’t know who to turn to or who to speak to’.
The Duke – who was 12 and his brother William 15 when Diana died in Paris in 1997 – added that there was ‘no shame to be able to acknowledge that today is a bad day’.
He also told the children: ‘You can have it, she (Meghan) can have it, I can have it. They can have it. Every single one of us is likely to have it on any given day.’
The Duke asked one child their age, and when they said they were five, he replied: ‘You’re five? Our son Archie is five.’ Meghan added: ‘That’s right, he turned five.’ She also said that Lilibet loved dancing, adding: ‘Maybe it’s all the jumping around.’
The Sussexes were greeted by a dancing troupe and a crowd of excited students and teachers. Student Nnenna Okorie said of Meghan: ‘She is the prettiest human being ever. I admire her so much and then Harry. I love how he is so supportive.’
The couple arrived together in Abuja just before 5am following a secret reunion at Heathrow’s VIP Windsor Suite yesterday after the Duchess arrived from Los Angeles.
They boarded the British Airways overnight flight to Abuja, which was slightly delayed after the scheduled pilot went sick and a replacement had to be scrambled.
The Sussexes, visiting Nigeria together for the first time, were seated in the first class section of the Boeing 777 and were kept apart from other passengers by a curtain.
Meghan revealed on her Spotify podcast Archetypes in 2022 that she found out she has Nigerian ancestry, describing herself as ’43 per cent Nigerian’.
And yesterday, 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 relating to the competition including a thanksgiving service.
