When Meghan Markle stepped out at the Salute to Freedom Gala in 2021, one of her first glitzy events after quitting the royal family, she was the star of the show thanks to her eye-catching red gown. But the Duchess of Sussex has now revealed she avoided bright colours during her short stint in the royal family as she wanted to "blend in".
Meghan revealed she adapted her wardrobe after marrying into The Firm during the first part of her Netflix series, Harry & Meghan, which dropped on the streaming service this morning.
The third episode of the six-part series shows Meghan, 41, getting ready for the gala - which was their first red caret appearance after stepping down from royal duties.
The bright red gown featured a plunging neckline and thigh-high split - and was unlike the muted outfits she wore as a working Royal.
Discussing her outfit choices in the Netflix show, Meghan admitted to avoiding colour while in the UK, alongside a series of images of her carrying out royal duties.
The duchess was known for her sleek muted classic look when she began carrying out royal engagements, but her neutral colour choice was always thought to be down to her preferred style.
"Most of the time that I was in the UK, I rarely wore colour. There was thought in that, to my understanding you can't ever wear the same colour as her Majesty if there's a group event," adding: "But then you also shouldn't be wearing the same colour as other senior members of the family.
"So I was like...well, what's a colour they'll probably never wear? Camel? Beige? White? So I wore a lot of muted tones but it was also 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 not to do everything I could to fit in," Meghan added.
She added: "I don't want to embarrass the family."
The Queen Consort and the Princess of Wales, as they are now known, were the other female royals who were more senior than Meghan, as well as the Princess Royal who is more senior by birth.
Questions are likely to be raised as to why Meghan did not get staff to check with other members of the royal family or their dressers to see what their fashion plans were, or even contact Camilla and Kate herself.
Her decision to avoid colour was the opposite approach to that taken by the Queen, who famously always wore bright colours to ensure people could always spot her.
Speaking in ITV's The Queen at 90, Sophie Wessex confirmed the Monarch's logic, saying: “She needs to stand out for people to be able to say, ‘I saw the queen'.
"Don’t forget that when she turns up somewhere, the crowds are two, three, four, 10, 15 deep, and someone wants to be able to say they saw a bit of the queen’s hat as she went past.”
Meghan and Harry make several claims about royal life in their highly-anticipated series, which is part of their $112m deal with Netflix.
Discussing his relationship with Meghan, Harry said there is a temptation for royals to marry someone who "fits the mould”.
He said: "I think for so many people in the family, especially obviously the men, there can be a temptation or an urge to marry someone who would fit the mould as opposed to somebody who you perhaps are destined to be with.
"The difference between making decisions with your head, or your heart. And my mum certainly made most of her decisions – if not all of them – from her heart.
"And I am my mother’s son.”
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