Meghan Markle Wears Princess Diana's Cross Necklace in Nigeria, a Gift from Prince Harry (Exclusive)

The Duchess of Sussex wore the necklace from her late mother-in-law for the first time

Meghan Markle found a special way to honor Princess Diana during her trip to Nigeria.

The Duchess of Sussex, 42, wore a sentimental necklace that belonged to Prince Harry's mother to a reception for military families in Abuja on May 11.

PEOPLE exclusively reveals that the necklace, featuring a delicate diamond cross on a gold chain, was a recent gift from Harry to his wife and once belonged to Princess Diana.

Meghan often pays tribute to Harry's mother through fashion, and has several pieces in her jewelry box that belonged to the late Princess of Wales, including butterfly earrings and an aquamarine ring. Prince Harry, 39, also famously included two diamonds from his mother's personal collection in the tri-stone engagement ring he designed for Meghan when he proposed in 2017.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex follow in the footsteps of Harry's parents, King Charles and Princess Diana, who visited Nigeria for an official visit in March 1990. Meghan may have subtly paid tribute to Diana during the first day of their trip on May 10 by wearing a gold collar necklace reminiscent of one Diana wore during her time in Nigeria over 30 years ago.

On May 11, Meghan wore the cross necklace with a St. Agni white strapless column linen dress and her hair swept up, allowing the accessory to shine. She received a warm welcome at the reception held at the Defense Headquarters Officers Mess, where an official acknowledged Meghan's Nigerian heritage in their address.

"Princess Meghan is a Nigerian!" Abike Dabiri Erewa, chairman of the Nigerian Diaspora, said at the event. The exclamation won a round of applause from the crowd, plus a smile and applause from Meghan herself. The Duchess of Sussex previously shared on her podcast Archetypes that she discovered she is 43% Nigerian through a genealogy test. Throughout the trip, she spoke of the connection she feels to the country.

The chairman went on to say that she was "excited but not surprised" when Meghan shared the news about her Nigerian heritage, "because she is beautiful, intelligent, diligent and hardworking and she stands firm in the midst of challenges."

"Prince Harry, you married the best — our daughter, our friend, Princess Meghan," she said. "I hope you come back again, again and again."

Related: Meghan Markle Wows in Same Yellow Dress She Wore for Archie's First Birthday at Reception in Nigeria

Harry and Meghan are in Nigeria at the invitation of the Chief of Defense Staff, the country's highest-ranking military official, and arrived in Africa on May 10 for the official three-day stay. The visit is significant as their first international tour since stepping back from their royal roles in 2020, and PEOPLE's chief foreign correspondent Simon Perry exclusively joined the trip to Nigeria.

The busy itinerary highlighted the Invictus Games, which Prince Harry founded in 2014 as a vehicle for healing for wounded, injured and sick service personnel through adaptive sport. Harry and Meghan made the trip following Nigeria's event debut at the latest iteration of the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, Germany in September 2023, and the Minister of Defense has expressed interest in hosting the Games in the future.

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The Duke and Duchess' trip kicked off in Abuja and concludes in Lagos on May 12 with a basketball clinic from charity Giants of Africa, a cultural reception at the State Governor Hosue and a polo fundraiser for Nigeria: Unconquered.

Ending the stay in Lagos also calls back to Princess Diana and King Charles' trip to Nigeria, as they visited the city in 1990.

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