The House of Windsor may have cut ties with the Sussexes, but it seems the royal couple's influence extends far beyond the palace walls.
Last Sunday in Lagos, wealthy Nigerian rulers bearing gifts and noble titles were reportedly competing to claim Meghan Markle as one of their own.
The event, described as Meghan's "unofficial crowning," took place at a flashy fifth-floor restaurant in one of the city's newest boutique hotels - hardly the throne room at Buckingham Palace, but no less grand in its own right.
Monarchs from across Africa's most populous nation journeyed to honor the Duchess, with fanfare, trumpets and no shortage of ceremony.
One such guest, Oba Akanbi, the Olu of the Wari Kingdom, made a grand display of presenting Meghan with an array of traditional gifts, including necklaces, bracelets and hand-woven fabric. In doing so, he bestowed upon her the title "Erelu Dunka," meaning "royalty from across the seas."
Yet, as the report reveals, not all who came to pay homage were as they seemed. It is now alleged that Oba Akanbi is in fact a convicted fraudster, twice deported from the United States, with a lengthy criminal record that includes accusations of rape, abuse and abandoning his own children.
For a couple who have so publicly distanced themselves from the royal family, this latest development may prove an unwelcome distraction - and a reminder that the trappings of nobility do not always reflect an individual's true nature.hotels - hardly the throne room at Buckingham Palace, but no less grand in its own right.
Monarchs from across Africa's most populous nation journeyed to honor the Duchess, with fanfare, trumpets and no shortage of ceremony.
One such guest, Oba Akanbi, the Olu of the Wari Kingdom, made a grand display of presenting Meghan with an array of traditional gifts, including necklaces, bracelets and hand-woven fabric. In doing so, he bestowed upon her the title "Erelu Dunka," meaning "royalty from across the seas."
Yet, as the report reveals, not all who came to pay homage were as they seemed. It is now alleged that Oba Akanbi is in fact a convicted fraudster, twice deported from the United States, with a lengthy criminal record that includes accusations of rape, abuse and abandoning his own children.
The Sussexes, it seems, were unaware of Akanbi's sordid past, leading some to question their vetting process and the quality of the company they keep.
For a couple who have so publicly distanced themselves from the royal family, this latest development may prove an unwelcome distraction - and a reminder that the trappings of nobility do not always reflect an individual's true nature.
