Meghan Markle Embraces Her Nigerian Roots And Receives New Royal Title During Nigeria Tour

Meghan Markle is embracing her Nigerian roots. During a speaking engagement on May 11, the Duchess of Sussex proudly referred to Nigeria as “my country,” expressing her deep connection to the West African nation. In her opening remarks, Meghan shared her journey of discovering her Nigerian heritage, describing the experience as “eye-opening and humbling.”

“I want to start by saying thank you very much for just how gracious you’ve all been in welcoming my husband and I to this country… my country,” Markle said with a smile. “Being African-American — part of it is really not knowing so much about your lineage or background, where you come from specifically. And it was exciting for both of us [she and her mom] to discover more and understand what that really means.”

Nigerian media maven Mo Abudu moderated the panel’s discussion. Meghan and the moderator were joined by the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

On May 12, Meghan was named the “Princess of Arochukwu Ancient Kingdom” in Lagos, according to the Atlanta Black Star. Additionally, it was reported that during a naming ceremony, the Duchess was renamed “Adetokunbo,” meaning “the crown or royalty from across the seas.”

“Today is Mother’s Day [in America],” Meghan said on the last day of her and Harry’s trip. “So it feels appropriate that although, of course, we are missing our children — I’m missing my babies — it feels very appropriate to be in the motherland and amongst family.”

Is Meghan Markle Nigerian?

In 2022, Meghan disclosed on her Archetypes podcast that a genealogy test revealed she’s 43% Nigerian. The Duchess shared the news with comedian Ziwe Fumudoh, who is also of Nigerian descent.

“I’m going to start to dig deeper into all this because anybody that I’ve told, especially Nigerian women, are like ‘What!'” Meghan told Ziwe.

Why Did Meghan And Harry Visit Nigeria?

The couple was in Nigeria during Mother’s Day weekend to attend various charity events. Also, the former British royals spread awareness about the Prince’s Invictus Games, an international multi-sport event for wounded, injured, and sick armed forces personnel, both serving and veteran.