The First Lady of Nigeria has denied claims she criticised Meghan Markle's outfits during the Sussexes' visit to the West African country last month.
The Duchess of Sussex visited Nigeria with her husband, Prince Harry, in May, and during their 72-hour trip, she often changed her outfits. It was claimed that Nigeria's First Lady Oluremi Tinubu had berated Meghan for dressing indecently as she gave a speech at an event to mark President Bola Tinubu's one year in office.
Addressing the crowds, she said: "The message here is we have to salvage our children. We see the way they dress. They keep forgetting that Nigeria, we are beautiful. You can see what they showcase on the stage, I said, 'We are fashionable, we see what is going on'.
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The Duchess of Sussex delivering a speech at the Lightway Academy in Abuja, Nigeria (AFP via Getty Images)"We are not having the Met Gala. And everyone, the nakedness, is just everywhere and the men are well-clothed. So we have to do something. Tell them we don't accept nakedness in our culture. That is not beautiful. It's not beautiful at all.
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"And they're all beautiful girls, but they should be confident in who they are. They do not want to mimic and try to emulate film stars from America. They don't know where they come from. Why did Meghan come here looking for Africa? That is something we have to take home with. We know who we are. Don't lose who you are."
Several reports claimed the First Lady was referring to Meghan's dressing, but this week she clarified that her comments were aimed at young Nigerian women. The TV station that filmed the speech also denied that Tinubu had reprimanded Meghan.
And Tinubu's office said the comments, which were reported following a video shared on social media, had been taken out of contexts. They told AFP Fact Check: "She meant Meghan appreciates the people we are and hence her coming here. At no point did she say anything about Meghan's dressing."
After a clip of the speech was shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, one person wrote: "Meghan Markle managed to create an international incident! We warned her about the clothes." Another said: "I agree with the First Lady."
Harry and Meghan visited Nigeria last month (Anadolu via Getty Images)
The Sussexes at the Armed Forces Complex in Abuja (Anadolu via Getty Images)A third person posted: "She should really respect other people culture and should apologise to the country." However, others didn't believe the First Lady was actually hitting out at the Duchess of Sussex.
One person wrote: "The message is not for her. Stop giving yourself a headache because of her," while another said: "She's talking about Nigerian girls dressing like the Kardashians. She even said look at Meghan that came here, implying even M was interested in the country. She was talking in praise. Letting girls know they can be proud of their country. Stop twisting his words."
Meghan, 42, wore a lot of different outfits and accessories in Nigeria, spending almost £120,000 on jewellery and new clothes. She wore a number of high-end brands on the trip, including Carolina Herrera, Altuzarra, and Johanna Ortiz.
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