Meghan Markle may have skipped the 2024 ESPY Awards red carpet, but she still shined inside the event in a white halter dress reminiscent of her Stella McCartney wedding reception gown.
The Duchess of Sussex exuded elegance sitting next to Prince Harry, who was being honored with the Pat Tillman Award for Service, at Los Angeles's Dolby Theatre on Thursday, July 11. Stylist Jamie Mizrahi dressed the formal royal in a radiant white gown custom-made by Oscar de la Renta. Previous reports claimed that Markle was wearing a piece from Staud's Spring/Summer 2024 collection.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry only appeared onscreen briefly during the event, where they watched their friend, Serena Williams, host the awards ceremony.
Markle wore her hair in a slicked-back bun, showing off a pair of square diamond earrings. Her beauty look was classically minimal, with lightly lined eyes and a glowy blush. She paired her dress with strappy black sandals by Celine (long since sold out) and a white pedicure coordinating with the gown's ivory palette. A Cartier bracelet glimmered on her wrist.
By her side, Prince Harry wore a black suit with a slim tie by Giorgio Armani. The pair were all smiles when they appeared onscreen and received a shout-out in Serena Williams's opening remarks. (Specifically, she joked that the former royals couldn't "overshadow" her during the ceremony.)
After Prince Harry received the Pat Tillman Award for Service—and made a moving speech about his work supporting veterans through The Invictus Games—he and Markle joined Serena Williams for belated red carpet photos. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stayed in their coordinating black-and-white outfits, while Serena Williams changed from her Armani Privé gown into a brilliant red halter dress by Ferragamo with resin detailing.
Posts shared by fans on the platform X showed Markle making her way around the Dolby Theatre, greeting friends in the audience. The photos also displayed a stunning, low back and a slim-fitting skirt.
In its silhouette and color, Markle's Oscar de la Renta dress mirrored her Stella McCartney wedding reception gown from 2018. That earlier piece also had a halter neckline and low back.
Between her 2018 wedding ceremony and 2024's ESPY Awards, Markle has worn white dresses on several other occasions. It's one of her favorite shades for formal events and press appearances, in the form of dresses by designers including St. Agni, Valentino, and more. White suiting is another of her go-to wardrobe moves.
The couple may have skipped the carpet even without the backlash surrounding Prince Harry's award. Meghan Markle hasn't made many official red carpet appearances in 2024. Her most recent walk down a step-and-repeat was in January, for the Kingston, Jamaica, premiere of Bob Marley: One Love. Meghan turned to Carolina Herrera, one of her favorite designers, for a black ballgown fitting the occasion. Prince Harry joined her in a navy suit and white button-down shirt.
Markle hasn't deprived her followers of outfits to dissect, despite sitting out from the major awards shows held near her new home of Montecito, California. Shortly after hiring Jamie Mizrahi, stylist to Jennifer Lawrence and Adele, in March, the former royal shared several glimpses into her new, even more refined take on personal style.
First, she attended a weekend of polo matches to benefit Sentebale, a charity co-founded by Prince Harry', in several outfits indicative of her new wardrobe era. One involved a cutout white halter dress by California designer Heidi Merrick; another revolved around a backless, black St. Agni dress.
Then, the couple set off on a three-day tour of Nigeria—and Meghan Markle packed outfits for onlookers to decode for weeks on end. A short sample of her meaningful choices included a sultry, side-slit dress by Johanna Ortiz and a peachy sundress by Heidi Merrick. In keeping with the Duchess's penchant for clothing with meaning tied to the occasion or the place she's visiting, she also wore a red dress by a local Nigerian designer and a Mother's Day re-wear of the Carolina Herrera silk gown she wore for her son Archie's first birthday.
Both Markle and Prince Harry have also made under-the-radar appearances for causes close to their hearts. Markle visited Children's Hospital Los Angeles to read with patients in April (re-wearing a floral Oscar de la Renta dress) as well as the Kinsey Art Collection to give a brief speech for its opening (in a floral Carolina Herrera cape).
The ESPY Awards are the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's first joint public appearance since their whirlwind tour of Nigeria. Markle's attendance at the 2024 ESPY Awards wasn't always guaranteed. After a petition circled online claiming Prince Harry was unworthy of his award—and demanded it be given to someone else—rumors circulated that Duke and Duchess of Sussex would sit out of this evening's ceremony. However, Marie Claire reported on Wednesday, July 10, that Prince Harry had no plans to turn down the Tillman Award; just before the awards ceremony, reports surfaced that they couple "wasn't paying attention to the criticism."
As any viewer can see, the pair showed up looking their best. Chroniclers of Meghan Markle's every fashion move are grateful.
Shop White Halter Gowns Inspired by Meghan Markle
Editor's note: This post has been updated with credits for Meghan Markle's 2024 ESPY Awards dress and jewelry.
