Doubts raised over Meghan Markle's tribute to Princess Diana as expert insists 'she'd never usually wear such a thing'
Meghan Markle has raised eyebrows after it was claimed she had donned a necklace previously worn by the late Princess Diana during a recent event in Nigeria. After the Duchess of Sussex wore the necklace, it was reported that she had done so as a tribute to her late mother-in-law.
Meghan and her husband Prince Harry had been visiting the African country as part of their "unofficial royal tour" to promote the Invictus Games, which was founded by the Duke of Sussex back in 2014.
However, following Meghan's tribute to Diana, one Royal insider has claimed that the necklace may not have ever belonged to Diana.
The source told Page Six: "No, I didn't recognise this at all. In fact, Diana was ever the professional and she generally avoided wearing religious motifs of any kind because they have the potential to offend people, so she would never usually wear such a thing."
While another told the outlet: "Meghan likes to curate her jewellery to tell a certain story. I find it hard to believe that she's been sitting on this necklace for five years."
Royal watchers have also pointed out that Princess Diana was only photographed wearing a cross twice throughout her life. She borrowed the Attallah Cross for a charity gala in London back in 1987, with the necklace being auctioned to TV star Kim Kardashian last year for a huge £160k.
The second occasion on which the late Princess was seen with a cross was while hugging HIV-positive children in San Paulo, Brazil, in April 1991. This necklace was then donated to a charity auction, and later sold to a collector for an undisclosed sum.
During her trip to Nigeria, Meghan sported a second necklace which appeared to have been inspired a Diana. On Friday, 10 May, Meghan opted for a gold collar necklace, which resembled one previously worn by Diana.
On this occasion, Meghan paired the neclakce with a stunning blush silk maxi dress featuring a high neck and cut-out back from Heidi Merrick. Interestingly, the ensemble is named the Windsor gown, which could be seen as a rare nod to the Royal Family.
The House of Windsor is the modern name of the British Royal family, adopted in 1917 by King George V to replace the historic name of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha amid anti-German sentiments in the UK following World War I.
As explained on the royal.uk website, Windsor remains "the family name of the current Royal Family," although those close to the direct line of succession don't use it as their surname.
