All eyes were on Meghan Markle earlier this morning as she headed out for her first official engagement on the packed itinerary for her and husband Prince Harry’s royal tour of Australia – also her first outing since officially announcing her pregnancy to the world’s media. In marking this special news, it seems that the Duchess wanted to pay tribute to her late mother-in-law, Diana, as she chose to wear a pair of the Princess of Wales’ gold earrings, teamed with another of her bracelets.
The gold butterfly earrings, which Meghan debuted at a welcome reception at Admiralty House before heading on to Taronga Zoo (to meet their namesake koalas, no less) and the Sydney Opera House, were worn by the Princess in May 1986 during her royal tour of Canada, just over a year after Prince Harry was born. The bracelet, meanwhile, is a gold cuff style embedded with two stones, which Diana was photographed wearing on a visit to the Lord Gage Centre in East London back in 1990.
The Duchess of Sussex paired these special heirloom pieces with a simple cream shift dress by Australian designer Karen Gee. The ‘Blessed’ dress, which is priced at around £1,000 or $1,800 Australian dollars, proved so popular with fans of Meghan’s royal style that the brand’s website crashed shortly after, as shoppers scrambled to snap up the look.
Look back at Meghan's best fashion moments in the gallery below...
SEE: Meghan Markle's Best Fashion Moments
1 of 20Meghan Markle wears a strapless magenta gown
2 of 20Meghan Markle wear an all white ensemble
3 of 20Meghan Markle wears a tailored shirt and white trousers
4 of 20Meghan Markle wears a printed pencil skirt
5 of 20Meghan Markle wears a metallic mini dress
6 of 20Meghan Markle wears a printed dress
7 of 20Meghan Markle wears a short suit
8 of 20Meghan Markle wears a lace midi dress
9 of 20Meghan Markle wears an all black ensemble
10 of 20Meghan Markle wears a dark red mini dress
11 of 20Meghan Markle wears an off-the-shoulder dress
12 of 20Meghan Markle wears a pleated midi skirt
13 of 20Meghan Markle wears a white skirt suit
14 of 20Meghan Markle wears an off-the-shoulder mini dress
15 of 20Meghan Markle wears a black midi dress
16 of 20Meghan Markle wears an embellished mini dress
17 of 20Meghan Markle wears a fishtail gown
18 of 20Meghan Markle wears a strapless jumpsuit
19 of 20Meghan Markle wears a strapless gown
20 of 20Meghan Markle wears a red dress
Her choice of an Australian brand is perhaps further proof that Meghan has already mastered the art of diplomatic dressing, and it’s thought that the Duchess will continue to showcase Australian designers throughout her trip (doubtless with the help of her unofficial stylist, Jessica Mulroney, who is joining her on the tour). Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Karen Gee revealed that her brand focused on ‘empowering women.’
‘That’s how the brand was founded - that women should all feel special and confident, and Meghan believes in that and [she] is beautiful,’ she told the paper.
This isn’t the first time that the Duchess has borrowed pieces from the late Princess of Wales’ jewellery collection. On her wedding day in May, Meghan paired her Stella McCartney dress with Diana’s favourite aquamarine ring for the evening reception; her engagement ring, meanwhile, incorporates two diamonds from the Princess’s collection.