The mishaps in the Duchess of Sussex’s Nigeria outfits that scream ‘royal tour’

The Duchess of Sussex may have been unhappy as a working member of the Royal family, but if her current Nigeria tour wardrobe tells us anything, it’s that she’s picked up a few tricks from her time within the Firm.

For her three-day visit to the west African nation with her husband, Prince Harry, Meghan has worn a series of looks that are layered with significance.

Exhibit A is a blush silk maxi dress by California-based label Heidi Merrick, the second time she’s worn the label in the space of a month. The dress is known as the “Windsor” style, and was part of a 2018 collection, the same year she and Harry married. Coincidence? That’s unlikely. It may not be an homage to her host nation, as might be the case with the Queen or the Princess of Wales on tour, but it does hammer home the royal connection.

Exhibit B is a cross pendant necklace, which sources say once belonged to Princess Diana. Meghan wore the pendant with a white strapless St Agni dress for a lunch with the Nigerian chief of defence staff, Christopher Musa, representing her connection with Harry’s late mother.

Then there is her Cartier Tank Francaise watch. The one worn on this tour is Meghan’s own, but it’s often mistaken for the Tank that belonged to Diana, which Harry inherited and she sometimes wears – another nod to her royal status on this not-a-royal tour.

This was stacked with her Cartier Love bangle and a diamond tennis bracelet by California-based fine jeweller Ariel Gordon. New to her jewellery collection is a pair of vintage Lanvin clip-on earrings, and a wooden bead necklace gifted to her by students at the Abuja school she was visiting.

Meghan’s next look was a white Altuzarra suit. Alongside Harry’s green one, they reflected the colours of the Nigerian flag; this time, very in keeping with royal tour protocol. She last wore the jacket in 2018 while pregnant with son Archie, to kick off the Invictus Games in Sydney. This is also a traditional royal approach: the King, the Princess Royal and the Princess of Wales are all known to take great care of their clothes, so that they can be worn for years to come.

Outfit three, worn on Saturday, is her most successful look so far: a $2,850 (£2,275) engraved jacquard palm print dress by Colombian designer Johanna Ortiz, with a cut-out detail beneath the bust. She wore a similar dress by the same designer to the Women of Vision awards last year.

For her final engagement on Saturday, a Women in Leadership panel, she wore a red dress with a ruffled hem by Oríré, a Lagos-based label. This kind of sartorial diplomacy has been employed by the Princess of Wales many times on tour.

On her decision to switch from her signature neutral palette, she’s reported to have said: “I very quickly got the memo that I need to wear more colour so I can fit in with all of you in your incredible fashion.”

There is some evidence that Meghan has been planning her wardrobe unguided. Although rumours persist that she is working with Adele’s Montecito-based stylist Jamie Mizrahi, sources close to both parties denied this to The Telegraph in March.

This may explain why the Heidi Merrick dress is far too long – the first thing a stylist would do is have it taken up. “Her choices are usually better,” observes personal stylist Annabel Hodin. “She has lovely ankles and legs and a midi length would be more flattering.”

It failed to hit the mark on cut, too. “The dress needed a weightier fabric, as a backless design needs structure to sit well at the front,” Hodin explains. “The break at the waist creates a square silhouette... It needed a slightly raised waistline.”

The white Altuzarra look was a misfire for Hodin, too. “It’s not a suit, as the blazer and trouser are different. If doing a top-to-toe suit look, the pieces must match,” she says. “The jacket is pulling at the waist button, and the flare trouser is too tight at the thigh. I’d also lose the T-shirt and team it with a silky blouse instead.”

Camp Sussex is keen to make clear that Meghan styles herself, and if that’s the case, she does a decent job for the most part. Far better than many Hollywood stars if parted from their stylists and personal shoppers. The Duchess clearly enjoys fashion and discovering new brands.

That said, even the best-dressed people need a second pair of eyes; someone to appraise a look from every angle, and to give honest feedback when something isn’t right – particularly when one is in the public eye.

As Meghan prepares to launch her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, perhaps a guiding hand would be a worthwhile investment. It would inject a level of polish and professionalism that she clearly demands from every other aspect of her work and life.