Meghan Markle's fashion choices during her recent 72-hour tour of Nigeria with Prince Harry have been interpreted as a message to the Royal Family, according to royal expert Tom Quinn. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited the African country to promote the Invictus Games, with Meghan spending nearly £120,000 on jewelry and new clothes for the trip.
Speaking to The Mirror, Quinn suggested that Meghan's decision to wear a backless pink dress called "The Windsor" was a 'final and very carefully calibrated' snub to the Royal Family. "The Nigerian trip had a few other surprises - Meghan was definitely showing the royals back in the UK that she is her own woman and will even dress as she pleases," he said. "So not for her the restrained dresses that a working Royal such as Kate would wear."
The £450 dress from designer Heidi Merrick was paired with vintage gold earrings, a £1,453.20 gold necklace from AURate, and a £50,000 ring from Lorraine Schwartz. Quinn also noted that Meghan made a point to pay tribute to the late Princess Diana by wearing her mother-in-law's diamond cross necklace on the second day of the trip.
"Whenever they can, Meghan and Harry refer to Harry's mother, the late Diana Princess of Wales," Quinn explained. "Meghan sees Diana very much as her role model and she and Harry know that any mention of Diana deepens their claim to be royal in some quarters."
Meghan Markle ignites fierce debate after wearing dress called ‘Windsor’ during Nigeria trip pic.twitter.com/jEniiWFPYd — Global Press (@GlobalPressCorp) May 12, 2024
The royal author suggested that Meghan's subtle link to the Royal Family was an effort to boost her image, as research in the US has shown a decline in interest in the Sussexes. "Meghan and Harry will be hoping that the Nigeria trip will help reverse that trend," Quinn said. "Meghan may have started her new Internet brand, but even she will realise it's small beer compared to being a globetrotting Royal."
However, Quinn also noted that Meghan's fashion choices and the trip to Nigeria could be a double-edged sword. "On the other hand, Meghan will be hoping no doubt that the Nigeria trip will boost traffic to her Internet brand. The one thing Meghan dreads and fears is that her business ventures will fail and she will be forgotten," he said.
Following their visit to Nigeria, the Sussexes reportedly snubbed King Charles and the Royal Family once again by returning to Los Angeles without meeting with any members of the family. Despite a brief stopover in London, the couple did not engage with the royals, further straining their relationship with the monarch.
The Daily Mail reported that Meghan and Harry were spotted arriving in Los Angeles after an 18-hour flight from Nigeria. They were pictured being whisked away by a car at Los Angeles International Airport's "Private Suites" facility, eager to reunite with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, at their Montecito mansion.
The Sussexes' decision to bypass a meeting with the Royal Family during their stopover in London is likely to be seen as another snub to King Charles, who has been working to mend the rift between the couple and the monarchy. The tension between Meghan, Harry, and the Royal Family has been well-documented since the couple stepped back from their roles as senior royals in 2020.
