Meghan Markle explains her ‘rainbow’ outfits after quitting royal role
She’s like a rainbow.
In the fifth episode of Netflix’s “Harry & Meghan” docuseries, which was released Thursday, Meghan Markle recalls how her style shifted after she and Prince Harry quit their senior roles in the royal family.
In March 2020 — two months after announcing they were stepping away from the monarchy — the Sussexes returned to Britain for their final official royal appearances, with the duchess dazzling in a series of ultra-vibrant outfits that were a sharp departure from her earlier looks.
“Until that last week in the UK, I rarely wore color, and I never wanted to upstage or ruffle any feathers, so I just tried to blend in,” Markle, 41, recalled.
“But I wore a lot of color that week. It just felt like, ‘Well, let’s just look like a rainbow.’”
Added Harry, 38: “It was our opportunity to go out with a bang.”
The couple’s farewell tour — which was a “whirlwind,” the duke said — saw the Duchess of Sussex donning a bright blue Victoria Beckham dress at the Endeavour Fund Awards, matching Harry’s military uniform in a red-hot Safiyaa gown at the Mountbatten Music Festival and turning heads in emerald green Emilia Wickstead for Commonwealth Day service.
In a show of sartorial solidarity, Prince Harry coordinated with his wife for each outing, selecting a navy suit and light blue tie for the Endeavour Fund Awards and a suit with a bright green lining for Commonwealth Day.
In an earlier episode of the docuseries, Markle said “there was thought” in her sticking to “muted tones” during her earlier royal engagements.
“To my understanding, you can’t ever wear the same color as Her Majesty [Queen Elizabeth II] if there’s a group event. But then you also should never be wearing the same color as one of the other more senior members of the family,” she said.
“So I was like, ‘Well, what’s a color that they’ll probably never wear? Camel? Beige? White?’ … I’m not trying to stand out here. So there’s no version of me joining this family and trying to not do everything I could to fit in.”
These days, the duchess is free to wear whatever color she pleases — as evident by the striking scarlet Carolina Herrera gown she wore to last year’s Salute to Freedom Gala.
