Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, concluded a visit to Jordan on Thursday, including a stop at a refugee camp, though notably did not meet with members of the Jordanian royal family, according to reports.
The couple visited a refugee camp as part of their trip, observing the conditions and speaking with those displaced, as reported by the BBC. During the visit, Prince Harry shared his personal experiences with addiction, stating, “There’s no shame in having an addiction,” to a group of individuals in recovery, according to Sky News. The Duke and Duchess also visited a rehabilitation center where they left handwritten messages of support for recovering addicts, as detailed by People magazine.
The absence of a meeting with King Abdullah II and other members of the Jordanian royal family during the Sussexes’ visit has drawn attention. People magazine reported that sources indicated the meeting did not occur despite the couple’s presence in the country. The reason for the lack of engagement remains unclear.
The trip has been described as an “odd quasi-royal tour” by NewsNation, and has reportedly caused friction with Prince William. The Telegraph characterized the visit as demonstrating the potential value the couple could have brought to the royal family had they remained as full-time working royals.
The Sussexes’ visit to Jordan follows a pattern of independent engagements since stepping down from their roles as senior members of the British royal family. The nature of these engagements, and the lack of official royal involvement, continues to be a point of discussion within both the British press and royal circles.
