Meghan Markle's Low-Back Dress In Nigeria Has Tongues Wagging

Meghan Markle's wardrobe has certainly changed since leaving the royal family. The royal family dress code is famously full of rules, so it's safe to assume that Meghan feels a bit more free to express herself through fashion these days. On Friday, May 10, Meghan and Prince Harry embarked on a tour of Nigeria. While visiting a school that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex support through their Archewell Foundation, all eyes were on Meghan and her incredible fashion statement.

Meghan dress so lovely the back is slaying #HarryandMeghaninNigeria pic.twitter.com/qPDcqgXydL

— Primal Empress xsandy (@XsandyEmpress) May 10, 2024

For their visit, Meghan wore a floor length dress in a beige shade. What sticks out most about this dress is its daring low back. Despite showing quite a bit of unexpected skin, though, this piece strikes an important balance. From the front, the dress shows no skin, at all, besides her arms. The high neck and body-skimming fit prevent the duchess from being too exposed, while the low back keeps the ensemble from looking boring or stuffy. Meghan also styled the dress to perfection with simple makeup, sleek jewelry, including big gold statement stud earrings, and a long, curled low ponytail. 

After they began their tour, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex began trending on X formerly known as Twitter via the #HarryandMeghaninNigeria hashtag. As photos began to show up online, many fans were struck by Meghan Markle's stunning ensemble. "That's how I imagine a true modern princess looks like," said one X user. "Meghan['s] dress [is] so lovely the back is slaying," said another, which was echoed in the comments, "SLAY QUEEN!!"

Just like the woman wearing it, though, this dress seemed to polarize the public. While many folks on the internet gave this dress the seal of approval, others thought, as one commenter put it, "It's a bit risqué for a formal visit imo." According to one tweet, "The controversy surrounding Meghan Markle's choice of attire during her visit to Nigeria stems from cultural differences and perceptions of modesty." The user went on to explain that due to its low back, many people "felt the dress was inappropriate for the cultural and religious context of the country."

Despite very mixed feelings about her fashion statement, many fans noted that Meghan's appearance at the visit gave off positive vibes, regardless of her attire. "She's glowing. It's so lovely to see," one X user wrote. Another said, "She really does look so happy and free." Now, that's one fashion choice that we can all get behind.