Meghan Markle has seemingly paid a subtle tribute to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana as she joined Prince Harry on a “three-day royal tour” in Nigeria.
The Duchess of Sussex, 42, looked effortlessly elegant in a sleeveless peach maxi dress titled Windsor by Californian designer Heidi Merrick while visiting a school supported by the couple’s Archewell Foundation on Friday.
The mother-of-two appeared to look to the late Princess of Wales for inspiration for her accessories, as during Diana’s visit to Nigeria in 1990, the royal opted to wear similar earrings and necklaces.
Meghan wore chunky gold earrings from Lanvin, her AURate necklace and an array of dazzling bracelets, as well as her wedding rings.
The jewelry looked similar to what Diana wore when she visited the country with her then-husband Charles, just two years before they separated.
Meghan Markle has apparently paid a subtle tribute to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, as she joined Prince Harry on a ‘three-day royal tour’ in Nigeria.
Meghan added a little more glamor by wearing Diana’s gold Cartier Tank Française watch.
Diana wore the £17,800 gold watch on several occasions, including a 1997 visit to London’s Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu temple and an engagement at the British Lung Foundation that same year.
Meghan is known to be a fan of the stylish watch and splurged on her own two-tone version in 2015, when Suits was picked up for a third season.
At the time, he told Hello magazine: “I have always coveted the Cartier French Tank watch. When I found out they had picked up Suits for our third season (which, at the time, seemed like a huge milestone), I splurged and bought the two-tone version.
‘I had it engraved on the back, ‘To MM From MM’ and I plan to give it to my daughter one day. That’s what makes the pieces special, the connection you have with them.’
It appears Meghan also chose to honor Diana once again on Saturday by wearing a gold cross necklace, a source said. Page six It actually belonged to the princess.
The beauty showed off the gold chain by pairing it with a strapless white St. Agni dress for a reception hosted by Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s chief of defense staff, to honor military families.
Meghan has been given several items from Diana’s collection. They include Diana’s butterfly earrings and gold bracelet that she wore on her tour of Australia in 2018.
However, the watch is one of her favorites and she has been seen wearing it frequently. The watch had been given to Diana by her father when she turned 21.
The jewelery resembled what Diana wore when she visited the country in 1990 with her then-husband Charles, just two years before they separated.
Later that night, Meghan was seen wearing the AURate necklace with a chic white suit.
It appears Meghan also chose to honor her late mother-in-law once again on Saturday by wearing a gold cross necklace that, a source told Page Six, actually belonged to Diana.
Harry and Meghan’s 72-hour visit is primarily to promote Harry’s Invictus Games, but many observers have noted its similarity to a traditional royal tour.
So much so that the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, was keen to dispel any illusion that this was official business.
“They are visiting in a private, unofficial capacity… They do not represent the work of Her Majesty’s Government on this visit,” he said in comments reported by the Nigerian News Agency.
Believed to have originally been priced at $572, Meghan’s elegant silk dress worn on her first outing to Nigeria features a dropped hem, billowy skirt and cinched waist.
It is not the first time that the duchess has worn the designer. In April, Meghan opted for a glamorous white Heidi Merrick design, which featured a statement bow and cut-out back.
Meghan’s close friend and former Suits co-star Abigail Spencer also chose the same outfit to celebrate Heidi’s anniversary celebrations with husband Johnny Johnston in September. Abigail appears to be a close friend of the Californian designer.
He also chose to wear his Lorraine Schwartz pinky band, valued at $62,000, which has a controversial background; There have long been doubts about the ring’s origin.
In 2021, Prince Harry and Meghan denied claims that the wedding ring was made with diamonds gifted to the couple by a mystery donor in the Middle East, before clarifying that they were referring to a different ring.
They initially said the piece was sourced by a shoot stylist directly from the designer and that there was no link to a mystery donor in the Middle East.
Meghan looked effortlessly chic as she bared her back in a peach sleeveless dress with a dropped hem, billowing skirt and cinched waist.
Meghan added a little more glamor by wearing Diana’s gold Cartier Tank Française watch
Both the duchess and the duke donned beaded necklaces, while Harry put on a low-key display in a cream shirt and pants combo.
But in a spectacular 180-degree turn, they later backtracked on the denial and clarified that they were referring to a different ring.
No further mention was made of the Lorraine Schwartz ring in question on her right hand, raising the question of whether Meghan has something to hide about the provenance of the diamond, which was first seen on her finger in October 2020.
If the diamonds really came from the Middle East, it is unclear whether Meghan received the gift while she was still a royal or after she had performed her last official duties in early March 2020.
He did not visit the region officially, but there is always the possibility that he made a private trip.
Buckingham Palace only publishes a list of gifts received by royals while on duty in the UK or abroad, and there is no public record of Meghan receiving diamonds.
Gifts sent to royalty outside of official engagements are recorded but not made public.
Previously, the palace directed inquiries about the diamonds to the Sussexes’ representatives in the United States.
Meghan also appeared to sport her beloved $5,500 Ariel Gordon Diamond Hex Tennis bracelet, which was rumored to be a Valentine’s Day gift from Harry this year.
Meghan takes a selfie with students as Harry looks on at Wuse Lightway Academy on Friday
Harry and Meghan took part in games at the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja on Friday
The Duke and Duchess watch dancers at the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja
Meghan accessorized her outfit with some glamorous makeup, including pink lip gloss, lots of blush, and smoky eyeshadow. Her hair looked equally glamorous, and Meghan opted for a ponytail of soft curls.
The stunning 14k yellow gold piece features over 1.5 carats of diamonds encased in solid gold hexagonal links and is handcrafted in Los Angeles.
She often places the statement piece on top of other jewelry, such as her beloved Cartier watch, identical to the one her mother-in-law, Princess Diana, owned.
Meghan accessorized her outfit with some glamorous makeup, including pink lip gloss, lots of blush, and smoky eyeshadow. Her hair looked equally glamorous, and the duchess opted for a ponytail of soft curls.
Both the duchess and the duke donned beaded necklaces they had been gifted, while Harry put on a low-key display in a cream-coloured shirt and trousers combination.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex met officials and children at Wuse Lightway Academy on Friday, hours after their early morning arrival in Abuja.
Harry spoke to a group of students at the school about mental health and referred to when someone “has lost a loved one in their family and doesn’t know who to turn to or who to talk to.”
The duke, who was 12 and his brother William 15 when Princess Diana died in Paris in 1997, added that there was “no shame in being able to acknowledge that today is a bad day.”
He also told the kids: ‘You can have it, she (Meghan) can have it, I can have it.’ They can have it. Chances are, each and every one of us will have it on any given day.