A little support could have gone a long way. Prince Harry revealed in his memoir, Spare, that he feels his family should have done more to defend wife Meghan Markle against public backlash.
In the soon-to-be released book, Harry, 38, opened up about his and Meghan’s first official public outing — the 2017 Invictus Games — for which the California native, 41, donned a classic button-up shirt and ripped jeans. While onlookers were mesmerized by the chemistry between the couple at the event, the “British press” quickly criticized Meghan’s distressed denim, Harry recalled in his tell-all. Online trolls even slammed the casual getup as inappropriate.
Turns out, Meghan’s Mother jeans, Misha Noonoo blouse and Sarah Flint flats were all “pre-approved” by the palace, he alleges. However, “no one” from the royal family expressed support publicly or denied claims that the former Suits actress had broken protocol. “I mean not anyone at the palace,” Harry wrote. “One statement, that week, in defense of Meg … it might’ve made a world of difference.”
During her time as a senior royal, a lot of “thought” went into Meghan’s fashion choices, she explained in her and her husband’s Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan. The Bench author’s wardrobe consisted of muted shades, a decision she hoped would help her not attract too much attention.
“Most of the time that I was in the U.K. I rarely wore color,” Meghan said in episode three of the six-episode show, which premiered on the streaming platform in December 2022. “There was thought in that. To my understanding, you can’t ever wear the same color as Her Majesty if there’s a group event. But then, you also should never be wearing the same color as one of the other more senior members of the family.”
Meghan explained that as she adjusted to her new life, she wanted to be intentional with her clothing as the style aspect of royal duties was something she “really didn’t know about.”
She added: “So, I was like, ‘Well, what’s a color that they’ll probably never wear? Camel? Beige? White?’I wore a lot of muted tones, but it was also so I could just blend in. I’m not trying to stand out here. So, 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.”
The “Archetypes” host became synonymous with tan trench coats with black dresses, often by Emilia Wickstead. It wasn’t until after she and Harry announced their decision to step back as working royals in January 2020 that Meghan brightened her closet.
“I wore a lot of color that week. It just felt like, ‘Well, let’s just look like a rainbow,” Meghan said in episode five. Harry added: “It was our opportunity to go out with a bang.”
On their farewell tour that year, Meghan wore a bright blue dress by Victoria Beckham to the Endeavour Fund Awards, a red Safiyaa cape dress at the Mountbatten Music Festival and an all-green ensemble by Emilia Wickstead for the Commonwealth Day Service.
Spare hits shelves on Tuesday, January 10.
