Meghan Markle has had plenty to say about the royal family ever since she stepped down from her senior royal role. However, at least one statement the duchess made has been debunked by Meghan herself.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle famously left the royal family back in 2020 after they felt they weren’t being well-protected from the media and the public’s scrutiny — and it was damaging to their mental health. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have since settled down into a quieter life in Montecito, California, but they still take on a number of public appearances and have been shaping their own businesses and brands.
But Meghan once said something about royal fashion that suggested she wasn’t allowed to wear her preferred colors, yet it seems that her outfits since leaving the family go directly against her claims.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Karwai Tang/WireImage
Meghan Markle often wears neutral colors
During her time in the royal family, Meghan was often spotted wearing neutral colors like beige, white, and navy. Of course, this was the complete opposite of Queen Elizabeth II, who was known for her love of pastels. But during an interview long after leaving the family, Meghan made it seem like she only wore neutrals because she couldn’t outshine any of the other senior royals.
“When I was in the UK I rarely wore color,” Meghan said in her Netflix documentary with Harry. “I wore a lot of muted tones. I also wore it so I could just blend in. I’m not trying to stand out here. I don’t want to embarrass the family.”
Meghan continued, “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.”
While this does make some sense, Meghan is suggesting that her fashion sense was stifled and that she only dressed a certain way because she was so scared of what the royals would think — but her outfits today paint a different picture. Despite having left the family years ago, Meghan almost always wears neutrals to events. You’ll rarely, if ever, see the duchess in a bright outfit. She wore white to the ESPYs, beige during her recent interview with CBS Sunday Morning, and has almost exclusively worn neutrals or dark colors for appearances with Harry during the Invictus Games.
Fashion experts expected Meghan Markle to wear brighter colors outside royal life
Meghan faced many challenges during her time as a royal, and the impact they had on her emotional and mental health should very much be believed. However, the statement about muted fashion in the family, specifically, doesn’t add up given that Meghan continues to choose muted colors. It seems that it is just a fashion preference rather than because she was scared.
“It’s a little unexpected,” style expert Miranda Holder said in an interview with Express, referring to Meghan’s fashion choices since leaving royal life. “Following her statement, I think we all expected the duchess to be stepping out in a rainbow of vivid hues and making the most of her newfound freedom on the wardrobe front, but it’s quite the opposite.”