‘I love being a mum’: Meghan Markle says she has fulfilled a ‘dream’ of becoming a parent as she opens up about her ‘very chatty, sweet children’ Archie, five and Lilibet, two, during tour of Nigeria with Harry

Meghan Markle says she has fulfilled her dream of becoming a parent as she opened up about her ‘very chatty, sweet children’ Archie, five and Lilibet, two, during the second day of her Nigerian tour with Prince Harry.

The Duchess of Sussex was speaking at a Women in Leadership event she was co-hosting with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organization.

Meghan told the audience how much she loves being a mother but admitted that balancing her family and her career posed its own set of challenges.

During the talk, Meghan was asked how she juggled being a mother with her career and she replied: ‘I love being a mum.’

Despite being told more than ten years ago by her friend and mentor that she would never be able to balance the demands of motherhood and her work, the 42-year-old duchess said she enjoys being a mother and her priorities are constantly changing.

During the panel discussion, Meghan said that ‘balance’ in her life has changed over the years and looks different to ten years ago before she was married and had Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

She said: ‘What I think that to mean now is that that balance will always change for you. That balance, what seems balanced ten years ago is going to shift.’ according to Hello.

During the Q&A session, Meghan also thanked Nigerians for welcoming her to ‘my country’ and she said she hopes she can ‘do justice’ to being a ‘role model’.

The Duchess of Sussex, who recently discovered she is ’43 per cent Nigerian’, wowed crowds today as she and Prince Harry continue their whirlwind ‘royal’ tour to the African nation.

Meghan arrived almost an hour late to the women in leadership summit in a spaghetti strapped red dress without her husband Prince Harry.

She told the audience: ‘I want to start by saying thank you very much for just how gracious you’ve all been in welcoming my husband and I to this country… my country.’

She also added: ‘I am just flattered and honored and inspired. It has been a whirlwind 24 hours since we arrived, and I very quickly got the memo that I need to wear more colour, so I can fit in with all of you and your incredible fashion.’

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 had any awareness of it.’

Meghan went on: ‘Being African-American, part of it is really not knowing so much about your lineage or background, 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 much as I do now.

‘It’s been really eye-opening and humbling to be able to know more about my heritage and to be able to know this is just the beginning of that discovery.’

Defining Nigerian women as ‘brave, resilient, courageous, powerful, beautiful’, Meghan said: ‘It is the most flattering thing to be in that company, to be in your company.’

She also added: ‘I often find that whatever travels I’ve done, regardless if it’s Nigeria or another country around the world, oftentimes when women reach the peak of success, they leave.

‘But you need to come back home. You need to at least be a familiar face for the next generation to say: “Oh, she looks like me – and I can be that.”

‘And I think that is a really key piece in all of it… It’s defined by, and you still always want to come back home, because that’s how you’re going to help shift any sort of generational pattern that might be stifling, especially for young girls who need to see someone who looks like them in that same position.’

After being told by a moderator that she had ‘come home’, Meghan replied: ‘I hope that I could do justice to the role model that I think so many young women deserve to have.

‘Obviously in the face of all of you here, I know that they, they see that. But being able to be a small part of that means a lot.’

Earlier today, Meghan wowed crowds again as she attended a lunch with the Nigerian defence minister.

Wearing a shoulderless St Agni full length white dress Meghan drew gasps from onlookers as she walked into the officers mess for the reception with the Nigerian chief of defence staff Christopher Musa.

Harry had a cream linen suit and was heard joking with one guest who was wearing a black tuxedo: ‘Love your jacket. I want it.’

After being seated the British and Nigerian national anthems were played with the couple facing a stage decorated with red, white and blue balloons.

The lunch event came shortly after Harry and Meghan attended a sitting volleyball match and were mobbed by fans as they carried on their Nigeria visit – which has become a royal tour in all but name.

Guests at the lunch were able to choose from five different menus including special fried rice, fish fillet sauce and jollof rice.

There was cow offal with ofada sauce or if you they were reluctant to try the traditional Nigerian menu they could opt for spaghetti bolognese or grilled chicken.

A dance troupe entertained guests with music and rhythmic drumming with Harry and Meghan tapping and swaying to the beat.

A giant poster on the stage was perhaps not the best choice as it featured a rather stern looking Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

During the lunch Abike Dabiri-Erewa of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission gave a warm tribute to Meghan and her west African heritage – although she got her title wrong.

She said: ‘Princess Meghan, we want to thank you for coming home and Prince Harry thank you for bringing her home.

‘You have married a sister of ours and we hope that you come home again, again and again.’

Meghan is a Princess of the royal family, but she is not entitled to call herself Princess Meghan.

She was given the title after marrying Prince Harry -e Duchess of Sussex by the late Queen Elizabeth and the title Princess as she wasn’t born into the royal family.

Noticeably the Duke and Duchess appeared not to eat anything on offer and at times the lunch descended into chaos with a disco beat thumping in the background

Earlier in the day Meghan sparked mayhem as she turned up to the exhibition volleyball match in an embroidered £2,275 Joanna Ortiz Tropicana Nights dress, patterned with black and white palm leaves as she tried to beat the 35c heat.

The outdoor volleyball match at the Officers Mess was their first official engagement on Saturday and once again the couple were the centre of attention.

Meghan was happy to pose for selfies – at one point being lost amongst the crowd – and some were even reduced to tears after meeting her.

Meanwhile Harry also delighted onlookers when he took part in a game. However unfortunately his Nigeria Unconquered team ended up losing 21-25 to the Chief of Defence staff squad with all the players being wounded military personnel.

The Sussex Squad – a group of Harry and Meghan fans – were out in force as they cheered the Duke and Duchess on their arrival just before midday.

Aptly named Royalty Ojeh, six, was chosen to present a stem of roses to Meghan who pulled one out of the bunch and handed it back to the awe-struck little girl.

As they arrived there were loud cheers from a group of fans holding up placards reading ’43 per cent Nigerian’ in a nod to Meghan’s recent admission of her west African heritage.