Why Meghan Markle Proudly Called Nigeria ‘My Country’

Meghan joined other leading Nigerian women for a chat, during which she weighed in on her emotional journey to discover her Nigerian roots, proudly calling the West African country “my country.”

She also shared her thoughts on the issue of balancing motherhood with career for women, noting that “balance” is an evolving phenomenon that never remains the same over time.

On day two of Meghan and Harry’s visit to Nigeria, the Duchess of Sussex joined several leading Nigerian women to discuss the importance of female leadership and empowerment in driving positive change globally.

During the chat, Meghan expressed gratitude for the “overwhelming” welcome she has received since landing in the country and opened up about her emotional journey to discover her Nigerian roots.

“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 told the crowd, per People magazine.

“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,” she continued, pausing briefly to the applause before adding, “My country.”

Elsewhere on the panel chat, which consisted of individuals like the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and was hosted by Nigerian media mogul Mo Abudu, Meghan went on to document how she felt after learning she is 43% Nigerian.

The former “Suits” actress said the first thing she did was call her 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 noted. “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.”

Harry and Meghan earlier joined a special reception for military families and the widow association at the Defense Headquarters Officers’ Mess in Abuja.

The couple were dressed to the nines in matching linen ensembles. Meghan wore a St. Agni white strapless column linen dress, and Harry donned a cream linen suit.

At the event, Harry and Meghan met with injured servicemen and their families and were also shown a computer-generated plan for the Invictus Centre, which will serve as a physical and mental rehab center for wounded service personnel.

Before the end of the ceremony, Harry gave a speech in which he expressed his “heartfelt gratitude” to the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Gwabin Musa, and the Defence Minister, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, noting that the reception was “nothing but remarkable.”

The Duke of Sussex also acknowledged slain personnel who have died for the sake of the country’s peace.

“It reminds us of the true essence of service and the profound impact of conflict on children, families, and nations. My deepest condolences to all of the families,” Harry said.

Elsewhere during the event, Harry recounted an emotional meeting he had with about 50 wounded Nigerian soldiers from yesterday, highlighting the importance of the Invictus Games in giving injured servicemen a lifeline.

“I’ll tell you a story from yesterday when I visited Kanuda Hospital,” Harry began, per People. “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.”

He continued, “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.”

The prince admitted that seeing the plans for the Invictus Centre gave him “goosebumps,” as he called for united efforts to “make remarkable progress in acknowledging the sacrifice of many of our military personnel and, as important, their families.”