As chatter increases about the chances of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle being stripped of their title as Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the latter has been gifted a new Royal name — one that no doubt means more to her than the one she got through marriage to Harry.
Harry and Meghan went on a three-day tour of Nigeria in May, which experts have decreed was widely successful for the couple from a PR sense, although it only made King Charles and Prince William even angrier with the estranged Royal couple. It certainly went well for Meghan, though, as she got to reconnect with her cultural heritage in a personal and meaningful way.
Meghan Markle earns herself a new Royal title even as King Charles regrets taking away her old one
Meghan Markle recently undertook a DNA test and found that she was 43% Nigerian, so during the Sussexes’ trip to Nigeria Meghan received a great honor. She was bestowed a Yoruba name by the Yoruba King, Oluwo of Iwo. Meghan’s Yoruba name is Adetokunbo, which fittingly translates as “The crown or royalty from a foreign land.”
After their visit, Markle sent the Yoruba King a heartfelt personal letter, thanking him for “blessing” her with her Yoruba name, as well as stressing how “humbled” she is by the honor and how she will “treasure” her Yoruba heritage and keep it alive through her children, Archie and Lilibet (who just turned three on June 4).
“I am deeply humbled by your blessing of the traditional Yoruba name, Adetokunbo,” Markle wrote in her letter, which the King shared on his Instagram. “I treasure the name and appreciate your trust in me to carry it with grace and dignity. Our visit to Nigeria was important to many reasons, not least because it gave us an opportunity to explore and understand my heritage, which extends to our children. We look forward to coming back home one day soon.”
While their Nigeria tour had great personal meaning to Meghan, the trip was just another way in which the Duke and Duchess doing their own thing has irritated the Royal family, even if the blame arguably rests at their door. As per The Sunday Times Royal editor Roya Nikkhah, the decision to strip Harry and Meghan of their official titles back in 2020 has “backfired” on King Charles. “Banning them from using their HRH titles has only emboldened them to take on all the battles that royal life once prevented them from entering,” Nikkhah claimed.
Even so, there is still the potential that Harry and Meghan could lose their status as Duke and Duchess if the chasm between them and the Royals continues to widen. That said, whatever happens, due to his lineage, Harry can always call himself a prince. Likewise, due to an antiquated Royal custom, that would make Meghan’s official title… Princess Henry.
Sorry, but of all Meghan’s Royal names, that’s easily the worst.