Meghan Markle Wows in Same Yellow Dress She Wore for Archie’s First Birthday at Reception in Nigeria

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were the guests of honor at a reception in Lagos

Meghan Markle chose to wear a meaningful dress for a reception she attended with Prince Harry in Nigeria on Mother’s Day.

For a reception at the State Governor House in Lagos on May 12, the Duchess of Sussex, 42, wore the same yellow flowing dress that she wore for Prince Archie’s first birthday in 2020, as seen in images from the couple’s Netflix docuseries. Archie celebrated his fifth birthday on May 6, and the family marked the occasion privately before Meghan and Harry’s journey.

The event, attended by PEOPLE, was hosted by Nigeria’s Chief of Defense Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa OFR, who invited the couple to visit the country, and the Governor of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Upon their arrival, Meghan received a shawl as a gift from the governor’s wife.

Ending their journey in Lagos held special significance as it mirrored a historic visit by Prince Harry’s parents, King Charles and Princess Diana, on an official state visit in 1990.

During their official trip — their first to the African nation — the couple advocated for mental health awareness and promoted Prince Harry’s Invictus Games, which Nigeria took part in for the first time last year. Harry’s involvement underscored the significant role of sports in uniting and healing veterans and their families.
The visit also celebrates Meghan’s recent discovery that she is of Nigerian heritage. In 2022, she learned she is 43% Nigerian after taking a genealogy test.

During the first outing at Lightway Academy in Abuja on the first day, Meghan spoke from the heart to schoolchildren during the GEANCO Foundation’s inaugural mental health summit when she said, “I see myself in all of you.”

Speaking on a panel about women leadership on May 11, Meghan said: “I am very overwhelmed. So 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.”