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During his Ted Talks appearance, Meghan Markle debuted a new look as she introduced her longtime friend, photographer Missan Harriman. The Duchess of Sussex showed off lighter locks and a dramatic new hairstyle while appearing via a prerecorded video. This appearance came weeks after it was revealed Meghan would not attend King Charles’ coronation with her husband, Prince Harry. Subsequently, a beauty editor calls Meghan’s bold new look a “polished power move.”

Meghan Markle debuted a bold new look when introducing friend Missan Harriman during his Ted Talk.
Meghan Markle debuted a bold new look called a ‘polished power move’ | Anwar Hussein/WireImage

Meghan Markle breaks free from her restrictive royal past with a bold new look

As a working member of the royal family, Meghan Markle felt restricted by some aspects of the family protocol, reported The Telegraph. Beauty Editor Annabel Jones discussed Meghan’s new hairstyle, which included lighter-colored tresses and a sleek blow-out, as a “polished power move.”

Jones says Meghan’s latest fashion update ushers in “a new chapter in her life without such strict protocols” and likens it to celebrity businesswoman Gwyneth Paltrow. “Her new look alludes to the Gwyneth Paltrow, polished chief executive school of thought rather than the beachy Californian look [Meghan] adopted when she first moved back to the West Coast.”

The beauty editor concluded, “Meghan’s new grown-up locks and understated Brandon Maxwell sheath dress depict a more discerning, power-dressing Duchess than the one who hid behind the two wispy tendrils that deliberately fell from her bun as a working member of the royal family. It was a strategic style move that made her a relatable figure in a family steeped in tradition.”

Meghan’s videotaped appearance marked the first time the Duchess of Sussex has appeared publicly after declining an invitation to King Charles’ coronation. Her husband, Prince Harry, will attend the historic event.

Meghan Markle’s U.K. hairdresser said her former royal style was ‘accessible’

Meghan Markle discussed the restrictive protocol of being a royal family member in the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan. She claimed she wore muted colors like beige, knowing other royals would dress more brightly. “Most of the time that I was in the U.K., I rarely wore color—there was thought in that,” she said per Newsweek.

There was no version of me joining this family and me not doing everything I could to fit in,” the duchess said. She tried not to “stand out.”

Meghan’s former hairdresser, George Northwood, told The Telegraph in 2020 that her royal style was “accessible.” He said the idea was to make her look like “a people’s princess.”

He continued, “When we were preparing looks for life in the royal family, as you’d expect, everything is structured. You can’t push the boundaries.”

“During our time together, we created a more undone look to balance the formal dress code. Often including soft tendrils that ultimately became her signature messy bun,” Northwood concluded.

Meghan once described her natural hair as ‘curly’ and ‘thick’

Meghan Markle wore her hair in natural waves back at a red carpet event in 2015.
Meghan Markle wore her hair in natural waves in 2015 | Mireya Acierto/FilmMagic
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Meghan Markle Making Her Position Regarding Royal Family ‘Pretty Damn Obvious’ Says Commentator

In an episode of her podcast Archetypes, Meghan Markle discussed her natural hair texture. She and singer Mariah Carey discussed how challenging it was to tame their curls.

Throughout her years in the public eye, Meghan Markle has regularly worn her hair in loose waves or straightened. Therefore, some royal fans may not realize the Duchess of Sussex has natural curls she tames via the methods above.

The Duchess of Sussex said her hair was so “curly” and “thick” her maternal grandmother Jeannette was tasked with taming her tresses.

“She’d go, ‘Just hold on to the sink.’ And I would grip my little hands on both sides,” the duchess remembered. “You have no luxury of being tender-headed.”

Meghan Markle was photographed alongside Prince Harry at a Los Angeles Lakers game on Apr. 24, 2023. Harry will travel to the United Kingdom solo for his father’s coronation. He will then return to California to celebrate his son Archie’s 4th birthday on coronation day, May 6, 2023.

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