Meghan Markle Receives Heartfelt "Happy Mother's Day" Wish During Nigeria Trip with Prince Harry

"To come to something like this and dedicate yourself, we truly appreciate it so thank you again."

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, reacts while delivering a speech at the Lightway Academy with Britain's Prince Harry (unseen), Duke of Sussex, in Abuja on May 10, 2024 as they visit Nigeria as part of celebrations of Invictus Games anniversary.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Meghan Markle is being celebrated as a mom during her trip to Nigeria alongside her husband, Prince Harry.

On Sunday, May 12, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived in Lagos, Nigeria, and visited the Ilupeju Senior Grammar School to watch the Giants of Africa basketball exhibition as part of the Invictus Games 10-year anniversary celebration.

During the visit, Masai Ujiri—the vice-chairman and president of the charity as well as a former NBA player—publicly wished Markle a happy Mother's Day and while extending his heartfelt gratitude to the Duchess for taking the time to visit Nigeria.

“I want to wish you a happy, happy Mother’s Day," Ujiri said, as reported by People. “It is sometimes hard for us to be away from our kids and family to make things like this happen. But to do so shows dedication. To come to something like this and delicate yourself we truly appreciate it so thank you again.”

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry share two children together—Archie and Lilibet.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex meet with the Chief of Defence Staff of Nigeria at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja on May 10, 2024 in Abuja, Nigeria.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex meet with the Chief of Defence Staff of Nigeria at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja on May 10, 2024 in Abuja, Nigeria.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex traveled to Nigeria to honor the tenth anniversary of Prince Harry's beloved Invictus Games, a paralympic-style sporting competition to honor and support wounded, injured and sick military members and veterans.

The couple's three-day trip marks the first significant international tour since the pair stepped away from their royal roles and duties in 2020 after severe security concerns, intense U.K media scrutiny and as a result of the ongoing strife between the Duke and Duchess and other key members of the royal family, including Prince William, Kate Middleton, King Charles and Queen Camilla.

On Saturday, May 11, Meghan opened up about her motherhood experience during a women in leadership panel discussion, People reported.

"Balance will always change for you," Markle said at the time, and while touching on the ongoing pursuit of work-life balance as a working mother

"That balance, what seems balanced 10 years ago is going to shift," she continued. "And so being a mom has always been a dream of mine. And I'm so fortunate that we have two beautiful, healthy, very chatty, sweet children. I love being a mom. I love being a mom."

A post shared by Prince Harry & Meghan

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During the first day of the Duke and Duchess' trip, Meghan Markle spoke to a group of students at a school in Abuja. During the interaction, she shared a truly heartfelt and touching interaction she had with her daughter.

“Our daughter, Lili, she's much, much tinier than you guys. She's about to turn three. And a few weeks ago she looked at me and she would just see the reflection in my eyes. And she (goes): ‘Mama, I see me in you,’" she said at the time, as reported by People.

“Oh, now she was talking really literally. But I hung onto those words in a very different way," she continued. "And I thought: 'Yes, I do see me in you, and you see me in you.'"

Danielle Campoamor
Weekend Editor

Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.