The second volume of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s bombshell Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan has finally landed on the streamer and among all the shocking revelations, the Duchess of Sussex explained why her style changed after she left her role as a working Royal in March 2020.
In the series’ fifth episode, Markle looked back on how her style transformed after stepping down from the monarchy. She made her brightest sartorial choices during the pair’s royal farewell tour in 2020.
“Until that last week in the UK, I rarely wore color,” said Markle. “I never wanted to upstage or ruffle any feathers. So, I just tried to blend in.”
“But I wore a lot of color that week,” she added. “It just felt like, ‘Well, let’s just look like a rainbow.’” Prince Harry chimed in, “It was our opportunity to go out with a bang, to be honest.”
The Sussex’s attended the Endeavour Fund Awards at London’s Mansion House in March of that year, with Markle donning a bright blue pencil midi dress by Victoria Beckham, teamed with Manolo Blahnik pumps with a blue marble clutch in hand. The Duchess pulled her brunette strands back into a sleek, low ponytail and accented her glam with a bold berry lip.
The Duchess followed up her bright turquoise look with a fire engine red Safiyaa shoulder caped gown, matching Prince Harry’s scarlet Royal Marines officer’s uniform for the Mountbatten Festival of Music at Royal Albert Hall.
Markle teamed her colorful ensemble with a matching satin Manolo Blahnik clutch, red suede Stuart Weitzman pumps and Simone Rocha ruby-colored dangling crystal earrings.
Continuing her sartorial tour of the color wheel, Markle attended the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey for her last official appearance alongside Prince Harry, wearing a captivating emerald green Emilia Wickstead ensemble. The caped, mid-length dress was paired with a forest green Gabriela Hearst handbag, tan Aquazzura pumps and a matching green bird cage fascinator designed by William Chambers.
In episode three, Markle echoed a similar sentiment while sharing an inside look at her fittings with designer Wes Gordon for the crimson Carolina Herrera gown she adorned at the 2021 Salute To Freedom Gala at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in New York City.
“Most of the time that I was in the UK, I rarely wore color,” said Markle. “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 shouldn’t be wearing the same color as one of the other, more senior members of the family.”
She explained her thought process, sharing, “So I was like, ‘Well, what’s a color that they’ll probably never wear?’ Camel? Beige? White? So I wore a lot of muted tones, but it also was so I could just blend in.” She added, “I’m not trying to stand out here.”
