Since her days as an actress in Hollywood, Meghan Markle has honed and crafted her personal style into a chic clean-cut aesthetic layered in meaning.
When she married Prince Harry in 2018, the duchess' fashion choices became the subject of national and international debate, winning praise from the fashion press and criticism on social media.
During her time as a working royal, Meghan learned the importance of compiling a cohesive wardrobe for multiday tours and visits, both domestic and international. She prioritized not only the overall look but also the ways to pay tributes, honor hosts and provide an added layer of personal interest.
After she split from the monarchy with Prince Harry in 2020, Meghan took this new wardrobe skill and has applied it to her post-royal life.
This month, during a three-day trip to Nigeria from May 10 to 12, the duchess displayed this skill to its full effect, wearing a number of pieces that have links to her personal life, including her husband, children and mother-in-law.
Though these hidden meanings have not been confirmed by Meghan herself, fans online have delighted in making the links and deciphering potential clues.
Here, Newsweek looks at these links and how Meghan deployed one of her most interesting tour wardrobes to date.
A Visit to Nigeria
Harry and Meghan's visit to Nigeria was made at the invitation of the country's top ranking military official, chief of defense staff, General Christopher Musa.
The visit from May 10 to 12 included events, receptions and meetings, most of which were linked to Harry's Invictus Games veterans tournament which Nigeria participated in for the first time in 2023.
During the visit, Meghan wore a number of striking outfits, changing as often as three times in a single day.
The 'Windsor' Dress
Meghan delighted fans on her first day in Nigeria when she attended a visit to the Lightway Academy in Abuja with Prince Harry wearing a simple long dress in a shade of nude.
Inquisitive social media users quickly identified the dress as coming from a past collection of the American designer, Heidi Merrick, discovering a link to Harry's family and history.
The dress in Merrick's collection is known as the "Windsor." Not only does this link to the physical location of Windsor Castle, where Harry and Meghan were married in 2018 and where they had a house on its grounds until 2023, but it also references the royal family's surname of Mountbatten-Windsor.
A Link to Lilibet
A second outfit worn by Meghan during her visit to Nigeria was made in the city of Lagos, where she met the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, alongside Prince Harry.
For the occasion, Meghan wore a canary yellow Carolina Herrera column gown which has a touching link to her 2-year-old daughter, Princess Lilibet.
Meghan had worn the gown while she was expecting Lilibet in 2021, as can be seen in a picture taken by photographer friend Misan Harriman.
The portrait was taken during the COVID pandemic and initially released in black and white.
Diana's Style Legacy
Another hidden tribute to a family member made by Meghan during her visit to Nigeria was in her choice of jewelry, specifically a thin-banded gold necklace worn across two separate days.
The necklace is very close in style (though not identical) to one owned and worn by Princess Diana during her own visit to Nigeria in 1990 with King Charles.
At an evening reception in Abuja, Meghan was also spotted wearing a diamond pendant necklace some reports suggest had previously belonged to Diana.
Both Meghan and Princess Kate have honored their late mother-in-law, wearing pieces of her jewelry, or others in similar style, for public events.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, Prince William and Princess Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
