Meghan Markle shares the most cherished souvenir from her visit to Nigeria

PEOPLE

Meghan Markle says her favorite thing from her three-day trip to Nigeria with Prince Harry isn’t tangible. 

Speaking to PEOPLE while on tour in Nigeria, the Duchess of Sussex says, “It was such warm hospitality and it was a really meaningful trip. It was incredibly memorable and special. That alone is the best souvenir to take with us — all the memories we’ve made.”

Prince Harry, 39, and Meghan, 42, traveled to the African country at the invitation of Nigeria’s chief of defense staff for their first official international visit since relocating to the U.S. in 2020, packing in a busy itinerary from May 10 to May 12. 

The Duke of Sussex tells PEOPLE that it felt good to be on the ground for causes they care about, from his Invictus Games adaptive sports tournament for veterans to their charitable Archewell Foundation and more. 

“Always nice to be on the move, in a sense, but also these trips are about us being able to go out and go and focus on the things that mean so much to us and support the causes that are close to our heart,” he tells PEOPLE. “And being able to be on the ground that, to us, is what it’s all about.”

Looking to the future, the duke alluded to more travel opportunities to expand their initiatives, like they did in Nigeria.

“It is hugely important for us to meet directly with people, supporting our causes and listening, in order to bring about solutions, support and positive change,” he says. “There’s only so much one can do from home and over Zoom, so we look forward to traveling more because the work matters. Whether it’s the Archewell Foundation, Invictus or any of our other causes, there will always be reasons to meet the people at the heart of our work.”

The whirlwind visit had all the trappings of a royal tour and invoked the couple’s early hope to serve the crown and the commonwealth (of which Nigeria is a part) while pursuing financial independence, a notion previously shut down by Queen Elizabeth. 

Those close to the couple say that the Nigeria trip (where Meghan connected with her heritage) was not an attempt to highlight any perceived gaps in the royal family’s workload, which is currently affected not only by Harry and Meghan’s absence but also King Charles‘ and Kate Middleton‘s cancer treatments.

For his part, Prince Harry says, “You know what Africa means to me over the years. It is a very, very special place, and to be able to include Nigeria now [in Invictus], I’m very happy.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s high spirits throughout their stay was in contrast to their last visit to Africa in 2019, when Meghan was asked if she was “okay,” and her answer — “Not many people have asked” — betrayed that she clearly wasn’t. The couple were in a challenging place, and within months they announced their radical withdrawal from their royal roles.

Now, nearly five years later, it’s clear their spirits have lifted. 

“We’re just doing great. And happy to be watching our family grow up and evolve,” Meghan tells PEOPLE, referring to life at home with Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 2. “Of course, I’m happy. We’re really happy.”

This article originally appeared in PEOPLE.