Meghan Markle Has Glam Moment in Strapless Dress at Reception with Prince Harry in Nigeria

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are off to a busy second day in Nigeria

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry coordinated their looks for a special reception on their second day in Nigeria.

Following their first stop at Nigeria: Unconquered, a national charity working in tandem with Prince Harry's Invictus Games, on Saturday, May 11, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended a reception for military families and the widow association at the Defense Headquarters Officers Mess in Abuja. The outing also came with a special update: the unveiling of a rehabilitation center.

For the event, the couple matched in linen ensembles. Meghan went glam in a St. Agni white strapless column linen dress, while Harry wore a cream linen suit.

Hosted by the Chief of Defense Staff, General Christopher Musa, it was a chance for the couple to speak to families of servicemen and women.

Shortly after being seated, the couple rose along with everyone else to listen to the national anthems. The ceremony began with "God Save The King," during which the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stood at attention. Harry stood with his eyes forward and his arms by his side as the anthem played. The British anthem was followed by the Nigerian anthem.

They were then treated to a dance performance by a group of energetic dancers and drummers and heard testimonies from wounded warriors. Lance Corporal Peacemaker Azuegbulam, despite having a prosthetic leg after being shot, shared his plans to participate in alpine skiing and skeleton sliding at the Vancouver Invictus Games. The 27-year-old thanked Prince Harry for bringing the games to fruition, later telling PEOPLE: “It has given me a reason to live. There is ability on my disability."

Meghan and Harry were also shown a computer-generated tour of a new planned Invictus Centre that will be a haven of physical and mental rehabilitation for wounded service personnel.

During the series of speeches, Abike Dabiri Erewa, chairman of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, elicited wide smiles and applause from Meghan, and applause from around the room when she exclaimed: “Princess Meghan is a Nigerian!"

She said she wasn’t surprised when Meghan said on her podcast that she had Nigerian heritage. “I was excited but not surprised. Because she is beautiful, intelligent, diligent and hardworking and she stands firm in the midst of challenges," she said, adding, "Prince Harry, you married the best — our daughter, our friend, Princess Meghan. I hope you come back again, again, and again.”

And she didn’t leave out Harry, saying: “Princess Meghan, you married the best man."

After handing them gifts of his and hers traditional Aso-Oke outfits, she told PEOPLE: “They are an amazing couple. They’re humble, down-to-earth, and they look so good together. The love is there; you feel it.”

As a former captain in the British Armed Forces and founding patron of the Invictus Games, an international adaptive sports tournament for wounded, injured and sick service personnel, advocating for veterans and their families has long been close to Harry's heart.

In a speech, Harry shared his “heartfelt gratitude” to the Chief of Defense Staff and the Defense Minister. “Your reception and energy have been nothing but remarkable,” he said.

He also acknowledged the "tragic loss of the brave souls” who’ve lost their lives in recent conflicts in the country.

“It reminds us of the true of service and the profound impact of conflict of children, families, and nations. My deepest condolences to all of the families," he said.

He also shared a poignant moment from his visit with wounded soldiers on Friday.

“I’ll tell you a story from yesterday when I visited Kanuda Hospital," Harry said as he referenced meeting 50 wounded and injured personnel on May 10. "I’m sure they won’t mind me saying but morale was low. I could see it in their faces, I could see it in their eyes. Their injuries were defining their life. There were two of the 50 that were...a little different. They had smiles on their faces. One of them was doing push-ups on his bed.

“What this proved to me, what this reminds me of is the power of seeing what is possible post-injury. They would not be defined by the injuries of the past. That is what this is all about.”

He continued, “And that is what the new center you’re building is all about. Seeing the plans for the new Invictus Centre gives me goosebumps. As we look forward, let’s keep in mind that by uniting efforts we could make remarkable progress in acknowledging the sacrifice of many of our military personnel and, as important, their families. Offering support for their rehabilitation and recovery."

As they left the stage, the couple were invited to dance by a group of enthusiastic women. Harry was reluctant, but Meghan joined in.

Related: All the Best Photos from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Nigeria Trip!

Speaking to PEOPLE about Prince Harry’s vision for Invictus and what fuels his fire, his friend, fellow veteran and Invictus Games alumni David Wiseman said, "The identity of being a soldier doesn’t go away or change because you’re a prince or a duke. He feels that. He feels part of this community and we feel him as part of our community. That’s the passion and drives him in, wishing to serve this community."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Nigeria this weekend at the invitation of the Chief of Defense staff, Staff General Christopher Gwabin Musa, the country's highest-ranking military official, and the itinerary highlights the Invictus mission.

Prince Harry's empathy shone on the first day of the tour at the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Kaduna, where he took one young man's hand in a move that channeled his late mother, Princess Diana.

"Are they helping you? Are you feeling better?" Prince Harry asked at the bedside of Private Habu Sadiq in video captured by PEOPLE's chief foreign correspondent Simon Perry, who is exclusively covering the Duke and Duchess's outings in Nigeria.

"Get better, be strong," Harry told the soldier, who had suffered from impaired eyesight due to a blast.

The hospital stop was the Duke's last outing on May 10, which also included visits to the Lightway Academy school (coordinating with the GEANCO Foundation’s inaugural mental health summit) and the Chief of Defense staff headquarters with Meghan, 42. Harry then continued solo to meet the governor (who surprised him with paintings of him with both Princess Diana and his wife Meghan!) and headed to the hospital.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex began their second day abroad at a  training session for Nigeria: Unconquered, a national charity working in collaboration with the Invictus Games Foundation. Prince Harry and Meghan’s visit to Nigeria: Unconquered was all about sports recovery, where they saw a training session/basketball match with athletes.

Nigeria participated in the Invictus Games for the first time in September 2023 at the latest cycle of the competition in Düsseldorf, Germany, where Prince Harry, 39, and Meghan, 42, spent time with athletes from the team and fans in the stands. Meghan previously revealed on her Archetypes podcast in 2022 that she learned she has Nigerian heritage through a genealogy test, and Harry joked in his opening remarks at the 2023 Invictus Games that his wife was rooting for the Nigerian team.

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Prince Harry and Meghan’s trip to Nigeria is significant as their first international tour since stepping back from their royal roles in 2020.

Later on May 11, the Duchess of Sussex will co-host an event of Women in Leadership with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organization.

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