Did Meghan Markle's Trooping the Colour outfit break royal protocol?
On Saturday 9 June, Meghan Markle made her Trooping the Colour debut in a blush pink Carolina Herrera skirt suit.
Paired with a rumoured post-honeymoon glow and a Duchess of Cambridge-worthy blow dry, the former actress undoubtedly cemented her status as a royal fashion muse.
But did her bespoke cold-shoulder look break Buckingham Palace protocol?
According to royal commentator, Richard Fitzwilliams, the 36-year-old’s aesthetic was ‘unusual’ but played by the rules.
“Meghan’s peach off-the-shoulder Caroline Herrera outfit and matching Philip Treacy hat suited her perfectly,” he told Yahoo Style UK. “It may be unusual for a royal but it breaches no protocol.”
“She will have her own distinctive style which will evolve as she attends more official engagements both at home and abroad. The ‘Meghan Effect’ will have an enormous influence on fashion worldwide. It almost certainly won’t include ripped jeans but her outfits will often be accessible and invariably will be glamorous.”
However, Meghan’s most recent look was undoubtedly rare for a royal and other senior female members of the family noticeably covered their shoulders. For instance, the Duchess of Cambridge wore a sleeved ice blue dress by go-to label Alexander McQueen.
But the former ‘Suits’ star isn’t afraid to eschew royal tradition.
From the cross-body Strathberry bag she donned for her debut trip to Edinburgh to her makeshift messy bun, Meghan has shunned the royal rulebook on a handful of engagements.
Most memorably, the former actress graced the headlines after choosing a striped, shoulder-bearing Altuzarra dress for her debut Commonwealth Youth Forum.
Though it seems the Duchess of Sussex can’t win, as she was heavily scrutinised for her conservative, debut post-wedding look. Just three days after the history-making ceremony, the newlyweds attended Prince Charles’ 70th birthday celebrations.
For the prestigious event hosted at Buckingham Palace, the newly-crowned duchess seemingly sought inspiration from her sister-in-law in a blush-hued dress by London-based label Goat.
Teamed with co-ordinating sheer tights and a tilted Philip Treacy hat, the aesthetic marked her newfound role within the royal family.
But fans took to Twitter to call out the look with many joking that the royals had ‘broken’ her.
Meghan Markle is wearing tights. She’s officially a Royal. pic.twitter.com/Oo7j5F0xR1
— Hanna Ines Flint (@HannaFlint) May 22, 2018
I really hope that now Meghan Markle is officially royal her style continues. Looking at her first outfit it was pretty, yet conservative and kind of made her blend in to the masses. But more importantly… who dressed her in tights that are paler than her own skin tone?!
— Molly (@RoseBeautyFiles) May 23, 2018
They have her in the fecking tan tights already SAY NO MEGHAN pic.twitter.com/yk2NeFICLc
— Valerie LoftYES (@valerieloftus) May 22, 2018
One social media user dubbed the royal’s newfound wardrobe ‘conservative’ while another joked: “SAY NO MEGHAN.”
But the truth remains – regardless of whether or not her latest look broke royal protocol – the nation is continuing to coo over her sartorial prowess.
And with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s debut royal tour finally confirmed, we’re holding tight for her next host of seriously coveted looks…
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Read more from Yahoo Style UK:
Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirm first official royal tour details
How the Queen has taken Meghan Markle under her wing
How Meghan Markle is switching up the royal fashion game
