The Duchess of Sussex attended her very first of many future Trooping of the Colour festivities today in London with the royal family.
Meghan joined her new Royal Family as they celebrated the Queen’s birthday with a horse-drawn carriage procession that marks one of the only times on the royal calendar that the entire extended family gets together in a public manner. While the Queen’s actual birthday is in April, it is celebrated every year in June, with the official description listed as “a great display of military precision, horsemanship and fanfare”
Meghan looked gorgeous, beaming happily from her carriage, having just returned from her honeymoon with Prince Harry.
Image via Legion Media
Hat: Bespoke tonal Philip Treacy hat
Earrings: Les Plaisirs de Birks Oval Opal Earrings
Clutch: Carolina Herrera Metropolitan Insignia, in colours not yet available/bespoke
Ring: Birks Bee Chic Stackable Ring in Rose Gold and Birks Snowflake Ring
Dress: Bespoke peach Carolina Herrera dress
Image via Backgrid/Legion Media
** Please note that this is a draft of the post which will be updated as more details and photos become available. Stay tuned! **
The fying saucer is back! Meghan clearly likes this style of hat as much as it likes her and it sits well over the wide neckline and pretty waves in her hair.
Her Herrera two piece outfit is immaculate, a stunning piece of tailoring. However I’d question whether bare shoulders were quite in keeping with a formal military parade. I’d have thought it a feature for cocktail or beachwear. But as I say It’s all offset by a glorious hat and lovely hair.
Did anyone else notice that the other duchesses wore blue?
The dress was fashionable and appropriate. Sophie Wessex wore a bareback halter neck dress but not a word said . Kate Middleton wore an ugly red dress to a formal event with bare shoulders and nothing was said. Middleton has also worn very short dresses, dresses with very very low necklines and not a word said. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex shows a little bare shoulder and people talk about it. Wonder why? Hope it has nothing to do with her being BLACK!!!!
I think what people are getting at is that it’s traditional that at military parades you cover your shoulders and have some sort of sleeve. I think because the Countess’s shoulders were mostly covered and that it was only a bit of back that was shown no one really noticed. I know the red dress that you’re referring to and that was at an evening garden party, not a parade. I think it’s mostly down to context and knowledge of the event, as well as order of precedence. I thought the outfit was nice and her hair looked lovely, but I’m not sure that it was the right occasion for the neckline.
I think this Bardot collar is one of the prettiest I’ve seen but I’ve only expressed my own personal view that it looked out of place to me in this context. I’m more than happy to read the views of those who think otherwise, it’s the respectful exchange of views that makes places like this blog a pleasure to visit. I also remember that red McQueen, which I loved as it happens, and as Smith says, it was worn for evening which works fine in my view. Sophie has also done the occasional cold shoulder gown but again for evening and not in such a formal context as the Trooping ceremony.
Wow, Meghan looks absolutely lovely this morning!! It seems as though Meghan is one of those rare persons for whom almost any hat style looks great on them! While I do like this “flying saucer” (thanks Bertie!) style on her, I’m also looking forward to seeing her try other styles as well. And I rather like that she keeps her hat free from the fru-fru, that is very much keeping with her minimalist style.
While I absolutely love this Herrera creation, the color, fit and style suit Meghan to a tee. Is it just me or are tan lines showing on her shoulders? Looks like someone had a relaxing time in the sun!! I have to agree with Bertie and wonder if an off-the-shoulder look was appropriate for today. I imagine that Meghan would have asked either her adviser or someone in the know about this and since she’s wearing it, was told that it was fine but I hate to see her open herself up to criticism and/or comparisons with the other royal ladies. All of that being said I think the off-the-shoulder look is a look that Meghan enjoys, we’ve seen her in it 3 or 4 times now, and we’ll continue to see her rocking this look for some time to come.
Thanks for a great post MM!!
Agree with both of you. She is absolutely beautiful. The picture in the car didn”t give the impression that the top was so wide open. I hope as you Laurie that royal advisers confirmed to her that it was ok and that the Queen approves or at least is ok with it.
Hi Cricri, I know when I have a big event I check with either my sister, daughter or a friend that has attended a similar event to make sure that what I’m wearing is appropriate, etc so I can only think that Meghan would check with someone in the know before attending one of the biggest events on the BRF calendar.
I feel like not only would she have checked in, but that there would be guidelines or specific dress requirements! So it’s all good.
It feels like a Bardot neck too far having had one so recently at the wedding. I don’t really think there are rules or approvals sought, I would imagine each lady is left to her own devices to figure out what works. For instance we see once again Meghan has ditched loose strands of hair for two serious occasions at least, so changes are possible.
Keeping to royal protocol but with a Meghan twist . Well done. I too questioned the bare shoulders but guess was okay ed by HM
Think hat,though nice was unsuitable for an open carriage ride as was loose hair, bit breezy. She’ll learn about the vagaries of English climate.! Be interesting to see what she wears this week in Chester.
It seems neutral tones and off the shoulder looks will feature a lot with the Duchess. While I like the dress, I’m not a fan of it on this occasion. I also wish her outfit was a different color palette from that of her last outing i.e. the garden party.
Agree Lisa, this outfit is in the same blush tone as the garden party outfit? Is the hat the same or just very similar style? The hair was pretty. Just choosing the exact same color as the previous outing seems well, odd to me. Meghan certainly has her choice of hundreds of clothes,,,
How come my comment didn’t get posted? Not fair MM.
Hi Lisa! Our comments all need to be validated first if you haven’t left an approved comment before – we were busy this morning and apologize for the delay in approving. Thanks for sharing your opinion!!
xo,
A&C
Hooray! Back to Meghan’s own style. I had concerns after that frumpy and dumpy garden party look. Love the dress…and I think if she could wear bare shoulders in a formal church wedding that it is perfectly acceptable to wear an off-the-shoulder look here. I actually usually hate when the ladies of the Royal Family wear this kind of nudey-blush-peachy color because it is typically really unflattering to most wearers, but with Meghan’s darker hair and eyes and skin tone, it flatters her rather than washing her out. And I like the hat. There are not a lot of hat styles that suit her aesthetic, because many of them are frou-frou, so I think variations on saucer hats and berets are going to be her go-to. Ultimately though I am just really glad to see that she has not turned into a Stepford royal after the last outing!
Agree with you about this colour on Meghan, It’s what struck me at the garden party – how effortlessly she could take on a shade favoured by those of paler skin tone and make it all her own. I fear a certain amount of the stereotype royal style may be inevitable as we go on, there’s just so much you can do and still remain credible within such an ancient tradition. Thanks for reminding me that the off-shoulder thing is very Meghan and I would like that to stay too. I could see it going down a storm in a smart LA setting so there could be something of a minor culture clash going in here with my own misgivings.
And I don’t get why it is favored by pale people. I am a pale person and I would never wear this color cuz I’d look like a corpse! 🙁
Lol — it would do the same to me!
I love it but I never wear it because of the same reason!!
Once again meghan’s sticking to her style and there’s nothing “inappropriate” about her look. I wish people would stop commenting about her hair. It’s never going to behave like kate’s and there’s an obvious reason for that.
I agree Amy Bee! Kate fiddles and plays with her hair when she wears it down too. Also, after watching videos and seeing photos of Meghan before she met Harry I noticed that she frequently touches, smooths and flicks back her hair, it’s just her “thing “, something that most of us have.
It’s called being a human being. Everybody touches their hair from time to time.
We LOVED her hair today! It was down and looking very chic with the effortless (but we all know weren’t!) loose curls. It’s a reality of life that Meghan will not be able to please everyone – but we love that her look today really stayed true to who she is, and was less a deviation than say that of the garden party.
Was the garden party a huge deviation? I didn’t think so. Don’t get me wrong, everybody is not going to like what she wears because she doesn’t fit the royal mould and more importantly she’s never going to be her sister in law in any way. Nor should she be. I hope that some people will be able to accept that in time. But there are some things she cannot help one being the texture of her hair. If everyone can remember that I think there will be less criticism or compliants. Please bear with me but as a person of colour, the constant commenting on her hair is a sensitive issue for me because of the history behind such critiques. Meghan coming into the royal family will hopefully make people more aware that some things that are said about other members of the family will not be taken in the same way because her heritage, that includes the notion of what is appropriate to wear or not. I seem to remember another prominent person of colour who was criticised for her appearance as meghan. This is not a criticism of your site. I think you do a wonderful job but it’s about the general comments people have made not only here but on other platforms. You don’t need to respond to this. I just needed to get this off my chest:) once again keep up the good work!
Was the garden party a huge deviation? I didn’t think so. I suspect that there’s going to be a lot of disappointment with her outfit on Thursday then.
I thought her hair looked gorgeous today. I liked the loose waves a lot. My only real complaint about when she wears her hair down is that she does a middle part (like all the Swedish royals), which I am not a fan of. It actually seems here that she has a side part, from what I can see from under the hat. I’d like to see that in the future sans hat.
And I agree that there is something inherently problematic and racially coded when people comment on things relating to the texture of her hair. It has been well-documented for a while that women of color receive a lot of “coded” remarks about their hair (pretty much ever since that documentary Good Hair came out) and even well-meaning women should just NOT comment on it.
Thank you, all the problems in this world and people can’t stop finding problems with this woman. No matter what she does, it’s never going to be good enough for certain people. I hope she and her husband are happy with whatever choices she makes.
Hi Everyone!!
Meghan looks just lovely, I love her hair down!! I loved the dress, the fit was perfect, my only issue is the same I always have, and one that I will most likely continue to have with Meghan as she favors neutral hues! I would like to see different colors as she moves forward and I’d like to see another hat!!
Agree I would like to see another style of hat!
As far as hair is concerned, I have always had a problem with frizzy hair. I have struggled all my life trying to fight the frizz; including setting my hair in orange juice cans as a teen (yikes)! Even the advent of flat irons, lotions and potions have done little to smooth my locks especially in humid weather. I have tried Keratin treatments but even the mildest form was hard on my hair and I didn’t care for the chemicals not to mention the expense! My point being, Meghan’s hair is just responding at times to weather conditions and looks far better than my hair ever would during a breezy carriage ride. If you wear long hair in an unfettered style it’s going to misbehave a bit according to the wind and humidity. I enjoy the comments, this blog and everyone’s comments.
Love everything you make available for us of our TO girl. Go Meghan! However, this time round, is it just me or why hasn’t anyone commented on the fit of this choice. It is beautiful but the photos seem to show a pulling on the seam where the buttons sit the seam appears to roll back on itself. Seems that a designer would want the styling to lay flat at that spot – nice and neat. Almost hate to be the one to point this out, but can’t help since it is noticeable with every closeup shot.
Also agree with other comments re color. Looking forward to her trip with the Queen and some of her pre-wedding style – add the tights, but don’ t lose the Meghan we know and love altogether.
I noticed that too, also you can see a snap closure? It appears the button may have been moved also. I really loved Meghan’s pre-Duchess style. Effortless and modern yet feminine; also a bit conservative. I hope we see the old Meghan this week during her outing with the Queen. Does HM really approve all the female royals outfits for major occasions? Does anyone know this for a fact? Seems like a lot of work; I know she had to approve Meghan’s wedding gown.
If you zoom in on the first picture and look at the area to the right of the top button, it looks as though there is some damage to the material. Could the button have been moved to the left?
One does wonder if no one mentioned the bare shoulders look to Her Grace, the Duchess or if it was mentioned and she chose to be iconoclastic; nevertheless, it just makes her look as if she does not belong.
It does NOT serve a function as when the Princess of Wales broke “the rules” and stopped wearing day gloves to shake hands with AIDS patients, an act for which she will always be venerated (although vilified by some at the time)
Taking the ‘froufrou’ off her hat, I thought, was a lovely way for the Duchess to define her own modern, graceful look while still honoring tradition.
Much like some of the most beautiful style icons , like Marilyn Monroe, Diana Ross, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Catherine Denueve and in more recent times, Jennifer Lopez and Victoria Beckham, HRH Megan has also carved out a potential silhouette and color theme that she makes her own and makes her instantly recognizable..
This dress and the pretty peach/beige colorway is beautiful on her, and I love the hat, which for this occasion also works very well with her voluminous hair down and more curly. I don’t mind that her shoulders are bare (although I do acknowledge none of the other women in the family did so) and she looks very happy and relaxed. Can’t wait to see the rest of her outfits for the upcoming events this month!
Can you please do a style breakdown for this look?