The Royal Family has been engaging in “intense damage limitation discussions” over fears that senior royals are being “overshadowed” by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, a royal expert has claimed.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are said to be already be planning future trips following their successful visit to Nigeria earlier this month which saw them promote the Invictus Games, and meet charity organisations and politicians in the country in West Africa. The Royal Family is currently postponing engagements “which may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement this week after months of reduced engagements due to King Charles and Princess Kates’ cancer diagnoses. According to royal author Tom Quinn, senior royals have accepted that “for now they are going to be overshadowed”.

The expert argued that while Harry will “always be a member of the Royal Family”, the Sussexes feel “a sense of mission” since stepping down as senior royals. Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, Mr Quinn said: “So far as many world leaders are concerned, Harry is and always will be a member of the Royal Family. Believing their trip to Nigeria was a huge success, Meghan and Harry are already planning future trips.

The Sussexes’ 72-hour trip to Nigeria was successful ( 
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Getty Images for The Archewell F)

Meghan Markle and Catherine attending the Christmas Day morning church service before the Sussexes stepped down as senior royals ( 
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PA)

“Intense damage limitation discussions are taking place at Kensington Palace and Clarence House, but until and unless Kate and King Charles recover fully, the senior Royals accept that for now they are going to be overshadowed.” Mr Quinn said Harry and Meghan feel that there was “a sense of injustice” within the Royal Family which prompted the Duke of Sussex to previously declare: “It’s us against the world.”

But according to the royal author, this worked in the pair’s interest as it created a “sense of mission” and a feeling that they needed to “stick together and be strong in the face of their enemies.” The expert told us: “At the core of Meghan and Harry’s intense relationship is a sense of injustice. Harry has actually said, ‘it’s us against the world’. Feeling driven in on themselves has actually worked to their advantage as it gives them an increased sense of mission and a sense that they need to stick together and be strong in the face of their enemies.”

King Charles III during The Sovereign’s Creative Industries Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on May 15 ( 
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PA)

While in Nigeria, Harry and Meghan supported the “Giants of Africa” programming, including an announcement that they plan to expand their efforts by providing “an additional adaptive court and accessible sport for the community of Abuja.” Meghan and Harry also hosted a basketball clinic while they were there, with Harry taking to the court to “participate in an array of fun ball bouncing drills.”

And after their successful visit, sources claimed that Harry and Meghan could now be invited to Ghana. Insiders say the country’s leading bigwigs and artistic influencers are keen for the Sussexes to fly to Accra, the capital of Ghana that was so loved by Harry’s late Grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, and they will pull out all the stops to make them feel at home.

A source told The Mirror: “There is already a lot of talk and excitement in Ghana, everyone is so keen for Harry and Meghan to come and experience the great culture and warmth. Several top names have already visited Ghana in recent years from Ed Sheeran, Naomi Campbell and One Direction’s Liam Payne. Idris Elba, who DJ’d at Harry and Meghan’s wedding is a regular too, he is part-Ghanaian and loves spending time ‘back home.'”

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The source continued: “Harry certainly won’t be short of people to show him around and they will certainly roll out the red carpet for him, drafting in some of the finest Afro-beats performers to welcome him and his family. So perhaps it is only a matter of time before Harry and Meghan come out, and sample the famous jollof rice!” It comes as royal expert Jennie Bond said Meghan still showed all the signs of being a royal during the pair’s recent visit to Nigeria.

The Duchess kicked off her 72-hour visit to Nigeria with a £450 peach-coloured maxi dress by Heidi Merrick, vintage gold earrings, a matching gold necklace worth £1,453, and a £50,000 Lorraine Schwartz ring. She completed the outfit with a £4,391 diamond hex tennis bracelet and a £20,824 golden yellow Tank Française watch.

Ms Bond questioned her need to wear such an expensive outfit during the visit. She told Times Radio: “Perhaps Meghan felt that was what was expected of her because she does still feel royal even though she doesn’t want to be part of the royals. I find that a bit odd personally, but she looked great.”

Prince William and his younger brother Harry in 2018