Meghan Markle's Nigeria Tour Looks Ranked From Worst To Best

Few members of the royal family have managed to consistently nail their holiday attire quite like Meghan Markle. Although the wife of Prince Harry is no longer a working royal, in 2024, she and the prince embarked on a tour of Nigeria as part of their work with the Invictus Games, marking their first international tour since they took a step back from royal life in 2020. It's also an especially important trip for Meghan who is 43% Nigerian. As she put it during her trip, Nigeria is "my country" (via Sky).

Naturally, Meghan Markle has been rocking her best fashion moments for the occasion, stepping out in eight unique looks over the course of the three-day trip. The duchess also included a few subtle sartorial references within her looks. 

While none of Meghan's outfits have been bad (let's be honest, does Meghan ever really look bad?), some have certainly been a little more memorable than others. Here are all of Meghan Markle's Nigerian tour looks, ranked from worst to best — in our humble opinion, that is!

It's difficult to label any of Meghan Markle's outfits from her Nigerian tour as the "worst," but out of the bunch, we have to go with her first look on day one — a backless nude-peach maxi dress by Heidi Merrick that swept past the duchess' feet and trailed on the ground. She paired the chic dress with large gold earrings, an elegant low ponytail, a gold watch, and later in the day, a necklace of wooden beads given to her by local school children.

According to fashion expert Susie Nelson, Meghan would not have been allowed to wear this backless dress if she were still a working member of the royal family. "As Meghan is no longer a working royal, and this was a private visit, she didn't have to think about royal rules and protocol regarding her clothes," Nelson told the Mirror. "The blush pink Heidi Merrick dress would not have been seen on an official royal tour having an open back."

Although the dress was undeniably stunning in its simplicity, the peachy color — which Pantone named color of the year — ended up matching closely with Meghan's skin tone leaving her looking just a tad washed out. All in all, this frock was a gorgeous look but just a little underwhelming in comparison to the others that followed it.

Another day, another maxi dress. Meghan Markle selected another flowy long dress while visiting the charity Nigeria Unconquered in Abuja, Nigeria. The strappy silk dress by Johanna Ortiz featured a black and white tropical palm tree printed pattern, a cutout in the center of the chest, and a thigh-high slit over the left leg.

Meghan completed the look with a pair of black strappy leather flat sandals by Emme Parsons and black oversized sunglasses. She wore her hair in a low ponytail with a sharp middle part and completed the look with a dramatic pair of gold drop earrings by Jennifer Meyer and a selection of gold bangles and bracelets.

Throughout the visit to Nigeria Unconquered, Meghan and Prince Harry watched a volleyball game while wearing green Invictus Games scarves and met with children, one of whom showed off their art work to the couple.

On the third day of the trip, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry appeared at a polo club in Lagos where they took in a fundraiser match that raised money for the Invictus Games Foundation and later the couple passed out medals to the winners. Meghan decided to elevate the sporty dress code of the event, wearing a floaty khaki-colored Johanna Ortiz gown worth $1,995 featuring a subtle palm tree print. She wore a matching scarf draped backward over her neck just as it is modeled on the designer's website.

The dress might have looked more at home on a red carpet than at a polo club, but of course, Meghan totally pulled it off with a soft updo hairstyle and strands of hair cascading down the front of her face. The duchess accessorized with red drop earrings, a pair of Burberry heels, delicate bracelets, and oversized black sunglasses by Heidi Merrick.

Meghan Markle's second look of the trip was an ultra slick all-white suit by Altuzarra. She slipped into this business chic look for her second event when she and Prince Harry made a stop at the Defence headquarters in Abuja. She wore her hair in loose, sleek waves tucked behind her ears and opted for modern gold jewelry. She added a pop of color in the form of a pair of orange-brown pumps, which peeked out from below her wide-leg white pants. As Hello! noted, her suit combined with Harry's teal green suit make up the colors of the Nigerian flag.

Although the look may have seemed relatively bland, it actually contained a hidden message. The Duchess of Sussex had previously worn the white blazer while watching the Invictus Games in Sydney all the way back in 2018 — one of many stunning outfit choices Meghan has worn to celebrate the Invictus Games.

During the event, Meghan penned a note in the visitor's book which Harry used as an opportunity comment on his wife's beautiful handwriting. "With gratitude for the support of the Invictus community. And for welcoming me home," the duchess wrote (via Harper's Bazaar).

On day three, Meghan Markle wore a white button-up shirt from Carolina Herrera paired with a striped maxi-wrap skirt with varying shades of blue. The duchess also sported a pair of Burberry heels and "Santa Barbara" sunglasses by Heidi Merrick. Meghan donned the pretty ensemble while arriving at Lagos Airport for the Official State Welcome.

The star of the outfit was undoubtedly the gorgeous blue skirt, which was hand-woven by Nigerian aso oke fabric and was gifted to Meghan only one day earlier by Abike Dabiri Erewa, chairman of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission. Kudos to Meghan for crafting such a stunning outfit on the fly after receiving the gift. In fact, as Meghan previously said on the trip, she had been inspired to work more color into her wardrobe after seeing the flamboyant styles of the Nigerian people. "It has been a whirlwind 24 hours since we arrived, and I very quickly got the memo that I need to wear more color so I can fit in with all of you in your incredible fashion!" she said (via Hello!). Well, it seems she made that adjustment very, very quickly. What a wonderful way to pay homage to Nigeria.

On the second day of their Nigerian trip, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attended a reception in honor of military families at the Defense Headquarters Officers Mess. Meghan donned a glamorous, super simple, white dress. The sleeveless linen number, designed by St. Agni, draped elegantly to the floor in a long column-like shape, giving a statuesque impression. She paired the sleek dress with a gold pendant necklace, an array of gold bangles, and heeled sandals. She swept her hair up in a sophisticated high updo with a few wavy pieces framing her face. Overall, the duchess looked every inch the Hollywood star, while Harry coordinated with his wife by wearing a white linen suit.

Meghan's outfit also included a subtle nod to Prince Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, although many may not have noticed it. According to People, Meghan's diamond cross necklace was recently gifted to her from Harry from his mother's collection.

Meghan Markle injected a little more color into her Nigerian tour on the final day when she and Prince Harry attended a reception with Nigerian Chief of Defense Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa. Meghan wore a bright yellow, flowy maxi dress for the occasion. With its high neck and voluminous floor-sweeping skirt, the stunning gown was the epitome of summer. Meghan added more shades to the bright outfit by donning a green, yellow, and white scarf over her left shoulder. She re-wore the gold disc Jennifer Meyer earrings she previously adorned on the tour, recycled the gold choker from her first day in Nigeria, and once again gathered her hair in a sleek updo.

Meghan had actually recycled the yellow dress, too, having worn it four years previously on her son Archie's first birthday. During that more informal occasion, the duchess had worn her hair down long.

On her second day in Nigeria, Meghan Markle had one event without her husband, when she spoke at the Women in Leadership event co-hosted with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Meghan made a dramatic change from her usual muted tones for the event, opting for a deep red, strappy maxi dress, designed by Oríré, a Nigerian designer based in Lagos.

The fluttery dress made of crepe featured a simple bodice and a ruffled hem. Meghan paired the bold red frock with a diamond necklace, delicate hoops, her usual array of bangles, and tied her hair back in a sleek low bun.

As Meghan explained during the event, the dress had been a last-minute change of plan after she was inspired by the colorful fashions in Nigeria. "I am just flattered and honored and inspired," she said (via InStyle). Here's hoping Meghan continues to experiment with adding more colors to her wardrobe after her visit to Nigeria.