Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle told Oprah Winfrey she could not be left alone at the royal palaces because she had suicidal thoughts. (Photo: Hannah McKay/REUTERS/ File Photo)

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, paid a touching tribute to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, during her official three-day visit to Nigeria with Prince Harry. The 42-year-old duchess was seen wearing a diamond cross necklace that once belonged to Princess Diana at a reception for military families in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on Saturday, May 11.

According to People, the gold necklace, adorned with a delicate diamond cross, was a recent gift from Prince Harry to his wife. The sentimental piece allowed Meghan to honor Princess Diana as she and Harry, 39, followed in the footsteps of King Charles III and the late Princess of Wales, who also visited Nigeria in an official capacity in March 1990.

This wasn't the only nod to Princess Diana during the couple's Nigerian tour. On Friday, May 10, Meghan appeared to pay tribute to her mother-in-law by wearing a gold collar necklace reminiscent of one worn by Princess Diana during her own visit to Nigeria over three decades ago.

Meghan has a history of paying homage to Princess Diana through her fashion choices, and over the years, Prince Harry has gifted her several precious pieces from his mother's jewelry collection. These include a pair of gold butterfly earrings, a gold bracelet, an aquamarine cocktail ring, and a diamond bracelet, all of which have been spotted on various occasions. When Harry proposed to Meghan in 2017, he even incorporated two diamonds from his mother's personal collection into the tri-stone engagement ring he designed for his bride-to-be.

 

Known for her flair for fashion, Meghan has been doing her own hair and makeup while traveling through Nigeria. Her longtime makeup artist, Daniel Martin, who was part of her 2018 wedding glam team, told Us Weekly exclusively that the duchess has not engaged a stylist during her Nigerian visit.

"I feel like when I'm not with her, she has more room to play," Martin said at the Gold Gala on Saturday, May 11. "I think that's the fun thing when you see her, like she's in Nigeria right now. It's just her. There's no stylist, there's no hairdresser. She's doing everything herself and she's so good at it."

Martin, who worked with Meghan for years before she met Prince Harry, added that the duke prefers it when his wife wears "nothing" on her face, allowing her natural beauty to shine through.

The Duchess of Sussex received a warm welcome at the reception held at the Defense Headquarters Officers Mess, where Abike Dabiri Erewa, chairman of the Nigerian Diaspora, acknowledged Meghan's Nigerian heritage, exclaiming, "Princess Meghan is a Nigerian!" The statement won a round of applause from the crowd and a smile from Meghan herself, who previously shared on her podcast, Archetypes, that she discovered she is 43% Nigerian through a genealogy test.

Throughout the trip, Meghan spoke of the connection she feels to the country, and the chairman went on to praise her, saying, "Prince Harry, you married the best - our daughter, our friend, Princess Meghan. I hope you come back again, again and again."

The couple's visit to Nigeria, at the invitation of the Chief of Defense Staff, the country's highest-ranking military official, highlighted the Invictus Games, which Prince Harry founded in 2014 as a vehicle for healing for wounded, injured, and sick service personnel through adaptive sport. The busy itinerary included a basketball clinic from charity Giants of Africa, a cultural reception at the State Governor House, and a polo fundraiser for Nigeria: Unconquered.