Meghan Markle Embraces Nigeria As 'My Country' After Gene Test

Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, and her husband, Harry, Duke of Sussex, recently paid a visit to Nigeria, where they arrived an hour late but Meghan Markle managed to influence the throng with her magnetic personality and powerful words. Meghan and Harry travelled to Nigeria for an event promoting women's leadership and activism, which was co-hosted by Nigerian economist and World Trade Organisation head Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Meghan Markle- The Feminist

Markle has been an activist and a feminist since a very young age, when she wrote a letter to a dishwashing company about a stereotypical and misogynist ad. She has pushed for intersectional feminism, as well as anti-racism. After her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018, Markle was frequently harassed for her African-American race, leading them to leave the royal family permanently. Her identity as an African American woman has strengthened and emboldened her throughout the years. She has been very firm on her identity and race and during her visit to Nigeria, Markle revealed that she  did a genealogy test in 2022 and found out that she is part Nigerian. 

On her trip to Nigeria, she gave a moving speech and apologised for being late and getting a memo as soon as she landed about having to wear more "colourful clothes" to mix in with the crowd and the people. The next day, Meghan was seen wearing a bright yellow flowy dress and a green designed shawl that was gifted to her by the Governor's wife. 

"Nigerian Women are Beautiful and Powerful"

During the event, Meghan made some statements about her gene test and the experience being "humbling" as she found out about her race. She said during the event, “It’s been really eye-opening to be able to know more about my heritage and to be able to know this is just the beginning of my discovery." She continued further, "what’s been echoed so much really in the past day by men and women alike is 'Oh! We weren’t surprised when you found out you were Nigerian," she said. "I say that mostly as a compliment to all of you, because what they define as a Nigerian woman is brave, resilient, courageous, powerful, beautiful," she mentioned.

Her words have inspired not only countless Nigerian women but also young girls, who now regard her as a personal role model. Meghan Markle had previously spoken about her race, stating that as an African American, she has long pondered about her background and history.