Meghan writes thank you letters to Nigerian dignitaries who hosted them promising to return

DUCHESS of Sussex Meghan of Markle has written thank you letters to several of the Nigerian dignitaries who treated her and her husband Prince Harry during their recent trip to Nigeria promising to return to the country in the future.

In what was a major PR coup for the duke and duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan stole global headlines for three days as their trip to Nigeria caught world attention. Their visit was effectively a royal trip in everything but name as Nigeria rolled out that usual warm African hospitality  that included cultural displays, visits to schools, gala dinners, visits to hospitals, sporting events, etc.

General Christopher Musa, Nigeria's chief of defence staff, had invited the duke and duchess of Sussex  to come and offer support to military veterans. Prince Harry founded the Invicta Games, a sporting fiesta for servicemen injured in battle and Nigeria is a major participant in the venture, given the number of soldiers that have got injured in the war against Boko Haram.

Meghan, the former actress, who discovered in 2022 through a DNA test that she is 43% Nigerian, said she was happy to have learned a lot about her heritage, which she can pass on to her own children, Prince Archie, five and Princess Lilibet, who turns three this Tuesday. In a letter Meghan wrote to traditional ruler the Oluwu of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, she expressed her gratitude for the warm welcome they received in Nigeria.

He letter read:"Your Imperial Majesty, thank you for your warm welcome to Nigeria. Our visit to Nigeria was important for many reasons but not least because it gave us an opportunity to explore and understand my heritage, which extends to our children. We look forward to coming back home one day."

When Meghan met with the Oluwu, he gave her the traditional Yoruba name of Adetokunbo to which she responded that she was deeply humbled. Meghan said: "I am deeply humbled by your blessing of the traditional Yoruba name, Adetokunbo. I treasure the name and appreciate your trust in me to carry it with grace and dignity."

Prince Harry said: "Always nice to be on the move, in a sense but also these trips are about us being able to go out and go and focus on the things that mean so much to us and support the causes that are close to our heart. Being able to be on the ground that, to us, is what it’s all about.

"It is hugely important for us to meet directly with people, supporting our causes and listening, in order to bring about solutions, support and positive change. There’s only so much one can do from home and over Zoom, so we look forward to travelling more because the work matters."