Fans of the Duchess of Sussex’s style have been deprived of a multiple-day “tour-drobe” since she and husband Prince Harry stopped being members of the senior working Royal Family in early 2020. Happily, though, the couple are now on a three-day visit to Nigeria, which, though not in an official capacity for either the UK or the Royal Family, will no doubt see them photographed much more than usual. This means one thing: more Meghan looks.
After reuniting yesterday at London’s Heathrow airport, the couple arrived in the Nigerian city of Abuja this morning, and immediately began a busy day of events pegged to Harry’s Invictus Games, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Of course, all eyes were on Meghan to see what she would wear, and she did not disappoint, stepping out in a peach-coloured cut-away maxi-dress, reportedly by the designer Heidi Merrick. She has previously worn the California-based brand’s designs on at least two other occasions, most recently to the polo, when she wore the ‘Ginger’ dress featuring a cut-out detail on the waist and a tie on the neck. It’s clearly a popular brand amongst her set, too, with close friend Abigail Spencer having previously worn the same design.
Meghan’s accessories were also in keeping with her recent American Riviera Orchard revamp: elegant, classic gold pieces, with a vintage feel, including gold disc earrings, her favourite Cartier Love bracelet, a sculptural choker necklace, and Princess Diana’s gold Cartier Tank, which Prince Harry gave her as a gift. There’s every chance that several of the other pieces could be designer vintage, as she has recently worn archival Dior and Chanel jewellery. Meanwhile, the duchess’ shoes are a mystery, as they are hidden underneath her floor-length floaty skirt. She wore her hair in a long, low, half-plaited style, with face-framing tendrils, and kept her make-up pared-back and glowy.
Harry meanwhile opted for a neutral shirt and matching chinos, and the pair were seen wearing traditional wooden beaded necklaces.
The couple were invited on the trip by Nigeria’s chief of defence staff, General Christopher Musa, and will meet with injured veterans while they are there. It is also thought that Meghan will explore her Nigerian roots, which she revealed in an episode of her Archetypes podcast last year. She explained how she had taken a DNA test and discovered that she had 43 per cent Nigerian ancestry, but that she did not yet known which tribe she was from.
Like the Beatles before them, a slew of British brands are taking the US by storm with their whimsical dresses and cosy knitwear.The Guardian’s journalism is