Meghan Markle’s style has been the subject of intense analysis since the moment her relationship with Prince Harry was made public. But from day one, she understood that her fashion choices could send a message—and not just the message that she has great taste.
In the third episode of Harry & Meghan, the couple recalls Meghan Markle’s very first “royal walkabout“—when members of the Royal Family meet with the public to shake hands and pose for photos—in December 2017.
“I never saw pictures or videos of a ‘walkabout,’” Meghan recalls of preparing for the event, which the press dubbed her first “Royal test.” Though Harry did his best to explain the details, there was female-specific element which he was less informed about: the fashion.
“I could talk her through as much as I knew from my own experience and what I’d seen, but the piece I really didn’t know about was the style,” confesses Harry, “and how a woman needed to dress.”
The Duchess of Sussex recalled her frenzied prep for the official engagement. “I was like, ‘Should I wear these earrings? Are these a British designer? I just ordered these online, are these good?’” she says, making it apparent that she understood that her stylistic choices could be a way to show her good will toward the people of Britain; her choice to represent a British designer was not a fluke.
Meghan also explained her beige wardrobe, and why she dressed in more muted colours during the early days of her life as a royal.
“Most of the time that I was in the UK, I rarely wore colour,” she said. “There was thought in that. To my understanding, you can’t ever wear the same colour as Her Majesty if there’s a group event. But then you also shouldn’t wear the same colour as some of the other more senior members of the family. So I was like, ‘Well, what’s a colour that they’ll probably never wear?’ Camel, beige, white. So I wore a lot of muted tones, but it was also so I could just blend in.”
She continued, “I’m not trying to stand out here. There’s no version of me joining this family and trying to not do everything I could to fit in. I don’t want to embarrass the family.”
During her brief time as a senior royal, Meghan often wore clothing and jewellery by local British designers as well as brands which touted themselves as environmentally and ethically responsible, proving her commitment to both the causes she cared about—and to looking amazing.