Meghan Markle says she is ‘deeply humbled’ by her new Nigerian name and thanks Yoruba King for welcoming her and Prince Harry ‘home’ in personal letter
Meghan Markle has said she is “deeply humbled” by her new Nigerian name as she thanked a Yoruba king for welcoming her and Prince Harry “home” in a personal letter.
The Duke, 39, and Duchess of Sussex, 42, embarked on a three-day quasi-royal tour of the country last month at the invitation of the Nigerian military.
During the trip, the couple – who learned more about the Duchess’s Nigerian heritage – met the Yoruba King, Oluwo of Iwo.
The ruler bestowed on the duchess – who recently discovered she was 43% Nigerian through a genealogical test – the Yoruba name Adetokunbo, which translates as ‘the crown or kingship from a foreign land’.
In late May, Meghan wrote a letter to the leader thanking him for his hospitality and for honoring her with a Nigerian name.
Pictured: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive at the State Governor’s House in Lagos during their three-day visit to Nigeria
The Yoruba King – the only Yoruba monarch to be invited to a reception with the Duke and Duchess – has now shared Meghan’s letter with his 174,000 Instagram followers.
The letter reads: “Thank you for your warm welcome to Nigeria.
“I am deeply humbled by your blessing of the traditional Yoruba name, Adetokunbo.
“I cherish the name and appreciate your trust in me to carry it with grace and dignity.
“Our visit to Nigeria was important for many reasons, not least because it gave us the opportunity to explore and understand my heritage, which extends to our children.
“We look forward to coming home soon.”
During the visit, Meghan thanked Nigerians for welcoming her to “my country” and told a summit on women in leadership that she hopes she can “do justice” to being a “role model.”
When asked how she felt after discovering she was 43% Nigerian through a genealogy test, Meghan said the first thing she did was “call my mom because I wanted to know if she was aware of it.”
Pictured: Meghan Markle met Yoruba King, Oluwo of Iwo (right), during her quasi-royal tour of Nigeria
Meghan Markle wrote this letter to the Yoruba king who honored her with a traditional Nigerian name during her journey
Meghan continued, “Being African American, part of you doesn’t really know that much about your heritage or background, or where you come from specifically.
“And it was exciting for both of us to discover more and understand what that really means. Never in a million years would I have understood it as well as I do now.
“It was truly eye-opening and humbling to learn more about my heritage and to know that this is just the beginning of that discovery.”
Defining Nigerian women as “brave, resilient, courageous, powerful and beautiful,” Meghan said, “It’s the most flattering thing to be in that company, to be in your company.”
The visit was primarily to promote the Invictus Games and comes after Harry met the Nigerian team and General Musa at last year’s competition in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stand in front of God Save The King in Abuja, Nigeria at an event with Nigeria Unconquered
Prince Harry will present a medal during the trip after a charity polo game at the Ikoyi Polo Club in Lagos
The Nigerian military has touted the Invictus Games as one that could help rehabilitate thousands of personnel who have been battling Boko Haram Islamic extremists and their factions since 2009 when they launched an insurgency.
During the trip, the Sussexes announced a partnership between the Archewell Foundation and the Geanco Foundation, a charity in Nigeria that leads surgical missions, promotes maternal health and provides scholarships to young female victims of terrorism.
Royal expert Michael Cole told MailOnline last month that although the couple had “a private visit from two royal characters”, they “exploited their royal status to the hilt and tried in every way to give the impression it was real.” ‘.
He said that while the Sussexes’ trip was “not a state visit, official visit or royal tour,” it appeared to be a “tour proposed by Buckingham Palace and approved by the British government.”
He added that the couple “succeeded to such an extent that they will return to California very satisfied with their three days in Nigeria.”
Mr Cole continued: “That’s the magic of the monarchy. Nigeria gained independence from Britain in 1960 and became a republic three years later.
‘But such is the historic bond with the Crown and the affection for the Royal Family that Africa’s most populous country opened its arms to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, with some people even referring to Meghan as ‘Princess’ – which makes her clearly liked it.’
