Meghan Markle Did Not Break Fashion Protocol When She Was a Working Royal, According to Expert
Even though her days as a working royal are behind her, there’s still a debate regarding how much of the family’s rules and protocols Meghan Markle broke over the years.
She’s received a lot of criticism for not following the Firm’s dress code. But according to an expert, the Duchess of Sussex did not break royal fashion rules.
High hemlines and slits
When thinking about how ladies in the royal family dress, the standard was set by Queen Elizabeth II. During her 70-year reign, many can’t recall seeing the late monarch in pants and she didn’t wear dresses with slits or high hemlines. So it was big news when other royals did.
Express noted that in her book HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style, fashion expert Elizabeth Holmes talked about some of the times people thought Prince Harry’s wife was breaking protocol.
She pointed to the long flowy dress Meghan wore to Fraser Island in Queensland during her royal tour of Australia with Prince Harry. The Reformation dress featured a thigh-high slit on one side which left some calling it too risque for the royal dress code.
Holmes wrote the dress “made headlines with false claims it violated royal protocol.” However, she claims there is no rule that prohibits thigh-high slits. Holmes added that it was high hemlines the queen had a problem with as she reportedly preferred skirts and dresses to be cut on the knee or just below the knee if leg is to be shown.
Trouser suits
So how about trousers, which Queen Elizabeth hardly ever wore?
A couple of months before marrying Harry, Meghan caused a stir when she donned a black Alexander McQueen pantsuit to an engagement with her soon-to-be husband.
Well turns out she wasn’t actually breaking a rule then either. Holmes noted: “The black trouser suit got a lot of attention, and it’s because it is something we haven’t seen from the royal family. It [sent] a very strong message that Meghan understood that this was a job and she was showing up to work.”
Princess Diana was also a fan of suits, and we’ve seen the Princess of Wales (formerly Kate Middleton) rocking them a lot lately as they have become one of her go-to looks.
Nude tights
And of course, one of the most talked fashion protocols Meghan supposedly didn’t follow is wearing tights. Cameras picked up on that when the former Suits star and Harry did a photo call in The Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace to announce their engagement.
Shortly after they were married Meghan was seen wearing tights on a few occasions like for Charles’ 70th birthday party at Buckingham Palace.
When it come to nude tights, royal expert Victoria Arbiter previously said it’s “the only hard, steadfast rule in terms of what the queen requires.”
Holmes though argued there is no written rule about having to wear tights — and they’re worn as a sign of respect for the queen. She explained: “Meghan did not wear a lot of nude stockings, but then when she and the queen appeared together she did.”
