The First Lady of Nigeria Sets the Record Straight Over Meghan Markle Backlash Post Her Last Speech
The recent Nigeria trip by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry was not immune to the time-worn controversies. From royal pundits to media outlets, the scrutiny of the Sussex couple has been abundant. While some focused on questioning the couple's royal demeanor despite their infamous departure from their roles as working royals, others criticized the Duchess for her choice of tour wardrobe. Although little could be done about the former issue, the latter was addressed when the First Lady of Nigeria intervened, clarifying her misinterpreted statements.
Not only does this clear the air from Markle’s end, but it further enables her to move beyond the conflicts.
The First Lady of Nigeria clears the air for Meghan Markle
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry visited Nigeria from May 10 to May 12 at the invitation of the Chief of Defense Staff. Following their visit, a video surfaced featuring parts of a speech by Nigeria's First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, during an event titled ‘Celebrating the Woman’ in Abuja. To set the record straight, the First Lady’s office released a statement to AFP Fact Check, published on May 30, clarifying that “at no point did she say anything about Meghan’s dressing.”
The clarification addressed inaccurate reports from various tabloids that suggested the speech was a direct criticism of the Duchess’ tour wardrobe. According to the official statement, the reference to Markle in the speech was about understanding her identity and journey after discovering her Nigerian heritage. Markle revealed back in 2022 that she learned she was 43% Nigerian through a genealogy report.
During their Nigerian trip, the Duchess spoke about feeling a special root of connection to the nation.
When Meghan Markle called Nigeria her country
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Meghan Markle joined Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, for a panel discussion during her two-day trip to Nigeria with Prince Harry. On May 11, over 50 leading women from various sectors of Nigerian society, including politics, business, media, and culture attended the session. During the session, Markle expressed her deep emotions at being so warmly welcomed in Nigeria while wearing a red dress by Nigerian designer Orire.
As she addressed the audience, Markle expressed her gratitude for the warm reception and paused to add to the applause by referring to Nigeria as “my country.” For Markle, connecting with her roots was an "eye-opening" experience. However, following some backlash, the Duchess’ true intentions were met with skepticism. Yet, with the First Lady of Nigeria’s clarifying statement, all the negative remarks have been quelled, allowing Markle to navigate the situation without fear of blame.
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What do you think of the First Lady of Nigeria's statement of clarification over misinterpreted statements addressed to Meghan Markle in her last speech? Let us know in the comments below!
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Edited By: Aliza Siddiqui
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