The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, has made a revelation about her ancestry during her visit to Nigeria. The Duchess proudly declared that she is 43% Nigerian, a fact she discovered through a genealogy test.
Nigeria warmly welcomed Meghan Markle and Prince Harry as they promoted the Invictus Games. The Duchess referred to Nigeria as “my country” during an event, expressing her newfound connection to the African nation.
The Duchess first revealed her Nigerian heritage on her award-winning podcast, Archetypes, in 2022.
During an episode focused on the “angry black woman” trope, she discussed her background. “I just had my genealogy done a couple years ago,” The Duchess said, to which the host responded: “What? What are you?” “Forty-three percent Nigerian,” the Duchess replied.
Speaking at an event on women in leadership in Abuja. The duchess said, “Never in a million years would I understand it as much as I do now. And what has been echoed so much in the past day is, ‘Oh, we are not so surprised when we found out you are Nigerian’.
“It is a compliment to you because what they define as a Nigerian woman is brave, resilient, courageous, beautiful.”
During the event, the audience asked Meghan Markle to suggest a Nigerian name for herself. One person suggested “Ifeoma,” an Igbo name meaning “a treasured thing,” while another proposed “Omowale,” a Yoruba name meaning “the child has come home.”
Meghan Markle joined Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, in a panel discussion on the second day of her trip to Nigeria.
“I very quickly got the memo that I need to wear more color, so I can fit in with all of you and your incredible fashion!” she said during her panel appearance.
Additionally, Meghan Markle wore a Yoruba traditional ‘Aso-oke’ attire at the airport when she arrived at Lagos.
Meghan Omo Yoruba 🇳🇬 #HarryandMeghaninNigeria pic.twitter.com/USsLDIlYdU
— Jubril A. Gawat (@Mr_JAGs) May 12, 2024
