[imagesource:instagram/hrhofsussex]

Meghan Markle claims to have been on the receiving end of a lot of discrimination thanks to her racial heritage.

Racism became a large part of the reason she packed her bags and left her royal duties with Prince Harry, she told Oprah back in 2021, when that bombshell interview was released.

Later on, a translation of a book claimed that King Charles and Catherine, Princess of Wales, were the mystery royals who had allegedly discussed concerns about the skin colour of Meghan and Harry’s son before his birth.

Despite these prejudices, the ex-royal proudly talks about her ethnic heritage, even going so far as to proclaim that Nigeria is her country during a candid panel discussion with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation.

The two women sat down for a talk on Saturday, May 11, day two of Meghan’s trip to Nigeria alongside Prince Harry.

Around 50 leading women from various sectors of Nigerian society including politics, business, media, and culture, attended the session, which was moderated by Nigerian media mogul Mo Abudu, who heads Africa’s first global black entertainment lifestyle network.

It was a pleasure to welcome the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and share the vibrant culture of Lagos with our esteemed guests.

They are on a visit to Nigeria promoting the Invictus Games, a special initiative aimed at raising funds and supporting… pic.twitter.com/na4JYJjCIH

— Babajide Sanwo-Olu (@jidesanwoolu) May 12, 2024

Meghan, who is known for her advocacy work on women’s rights and gender equality, shared insights and experiences from her own journey during the event, while Dr Okonjo-Iweala, a Nigerian-American economist serving as the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation since March 2021, brought her expertise and perspective to the discussions.

“I am just flattered and honored and inspired. It has been a whirlwind 24 hours since we arrived, and 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!” Meghan, who wore a red dress by Nigerian designer Orire, told the crowd at the event, which was attended by PEOPLE.

“I am very overwhelmed. So 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,” Meghan said, pausing briefly before adding, “my country.”

The Duchess of Sussex revealed in 2022 that she discovered she was 43% Nigerian from a genealogy test. When asked about finding this out, Meghan said the first thing she did was “call my mom, because I wanted to know if she had any awareness of it.”

“Being African-American, part of it is really not knowing so much about your lineage or background, where you come from specifically,” she continued. “And it was exciting for both of us to discover more and understand what that really means.”

“Never in a million years would I have understood it as much as I do now,” Meghan said. “It’s been really eye-opening and humbling to be able to know more about my heritage and to be able to know this is just the beginning of that discovery.”

The women went on to discuss the importance of representation in powerful roles, with Meghan saying “Representation matters tremendously”:

“You need to see it to believe it. That starts when you’re very young…I often find that whatever travels I’ve done, regardless if it’s Nigeria or another country around the world, oftentimes when women reach the peak of success, they leave.”

“But you need to come back home. You need to at least be a familiar face for the next generation to say, ‘oh, she looks like me. And I can be that.’…You still always want to come back home because that’s how you’re going to help shift any sort of generational pattern that might be stifling, especially for young girls who need to see someone who looks like them in that same position.”

Abudu added, “I hate to interrupt you, but you have come back home,” to which Meghan responded: “I hope that I could do justice to the role model that I think so many young women deserve to have.”

The event – hosted in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria – emphasised the pivotal role of women’s leadership and empowerment in fostering positive global transformations.

I beg your pardon- excuse me.

There were 4 Kings in attendance- The Oluwo of Iwo also presented Harry and Meghan with Aso Oke and the beautiful coral beads they were wearing.

Nigeria has spoken – we love you Princess Meghan!#HarryandMeghaninNigeria#MeghanWelcomeHome https://t.co/mSxZBVkBQa pic.twitter.com/UDfjiJWTiE

— Mandi Brown 🇳🇬 (@MandieBrowne) May 12, 2024

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were invited to visit the African country by its Chief of Defense Staff to spotlight Harry’s Invictus Games. Last year, Nigeria joined the event, sending athletes for the first time.

Harry and Meghan’s first engagement was an event hosted at a school in Abuja, where Meghan told students: “I see myself in all of you”. Then, the couple went off to watch a volleyball match with ‘Nigeria: Unconquered’, a national charity working in collaboration with the Invictus Games Foundation that Harry founded. Harry even joined in on the game against wounded army veterans, who won the match 25 to 21.

During the game, a group of women who called themselves the Sussex Squad Nigeria surrounded Meghan, saying: “We love you. Nigeria loves you. Welcome home”, presenting her with a book and a Nigerian fabric. Afterwards, the Sussexes attended a reception alongside military families.

This might just be the good press the couple need to stay afloat.

[source:people]