It’s the TV event of the year, if not the decade: the first part of Netflix’s Harry & Meghan has finally landed. Among the various revelations, the Sussexes also shed light on the very particular pressures put on the women of the royal family.
In the third episode, talking about their first royal walkabout as a couple in Nottingham in December 2017 (‘What’s a walkabout?’ Meghan remembers thinking) Prince Harry explains that although he did his best to fill her in on what it entailed, ‘The piece I really didn’t know about was the style, right?’
Right. The sartorial choices made by female members of the firm are scrutinised in forensic detail: What are they saying? Who are they championing? Why did they choose that? And all with the expectation that they also look chic and sleek and pretty and polished, but not threateningly glamorous. Oof.
Expressing the acute pressure that goes into every style move, Meghan says: ‘Shall I wear these earrings? Are these a British designer?’
Elaborating on the intricacies of dressing as a member of the royal family, the Duchess reveals how she happened upon her signature style of muted tones of camel, beige and brown. ‘There was thought in that,’ she explains. ‘To my understanding, you can’t ever wear the same colour as Her Majesty if there’s a group event, but then you also shouldn’t be wearing the same colour as other more senior members of the family’. Beyond protocol, there was a more relatable reason why she chose those non-colours: she wanted to fit in, to Get it Right. ‘So I could just blend in. I’m not trying to stand out here. There’s no version of me joining this family and trying to not do everything I could to fit in. I don’t want to embarrass the family,’ she says.
Fast forward to New York, November 2021 and their post ‘Megxit’ life. The Carolina Herrera designer Wes Gordon arrives to fit Meghan her for the knockout gown she would wear to the Salute to Freedom Gala. It is a look, a moment, thick with symbolism – a visual expression of her emancipation. The colour? Red. In some ways, you can think of that look as the real trailer to Harry & Meghan.
