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Meghan Markle has taken aim at the royal dress code that required her to wear ‘nude pantyhose’ on official engagements.
While there was no strict protocol or rule, Queen Elizabeth was believed to prefer ladies in the royal fold to wear tights to events – with the accessory considered to be part of the ‘unofficial’ uniform.
Meghan was seen wearing flesh-coloured tights for the first time at King Charles’ 70th birthday garden party, shortly after she and Harry tied the knot in 2018.
Yesterday, it emerged that the Duchess of Sussex, who now resides in Montecito after quitting her role as a working royal in 2020, felt that wearing the accessory was ‘little bit inauthentic’.
The former actress, 44, complained that she ‘had to wear nude pantyhose all the time’ on visits, adding she couldn’t be ‘as vocal’ several years ago – in what appeared to be a thinly veiled swipe at the Royal Family.
The Duchess has not had the best track record with hosiery, after it was alleged that she and her sister-in-law, Kate, argued over whether young bridesmaids – which included Princess Charlotte – should wear tights at Meghan’s wedding to Prince Harry.
Speaking to Bloomberg’s Emily Chang on Tuesday, Meghan said: ‘It was different several years ago where I couldn’t be as vocal and I had to wear nude pantyhose all the time! Let’s be honest, that was not very myself. I hadn’t seen pantyhose since movies in the 80s. That felt a little bit inauthentic.’
Meghan Markle was seen wearing nude coloured tights at King Charles’ birthday shortly after marrying Harry in 2018
While it’s thought not to be strictly enforced as royal protocol, Queen Elizabeth was believed to prefer ladies in the royal fold to wear tights to events (both pictured in 2018)
She added: ‘That’s a silly example but it is an example of when you want to dress the way you want to dress and say the things that are true and you’re able to show up in that space really organically and authentically – that’s being comfortable in your own skin. That’s had different chapters in my life.’
During the interview, which was set up to help promote the second season of With Love, Meghan, the Duchess said that she is ‘just being herself’.
Meghan was photographed several times with bare legs during her time in the UK, before quitting the royal family to embark on a new life with Prince Harry in California.
However, during high-profile events in close proximity to Queen Elizabeth and other high profile royals, the mother-of-two appeared to don tights – perhaps in a bid to fit in with other female members of the Firm.
Meghan sported tights during one of her first outings as the Duchess of Sussex, where she accompanied Queen Elizabeth to open a road bridge in Windes in June 2018.
In the same month, she was seen donning a chic double breasted nude dress and tights while attending the Queen’s Young Leaders Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace alongside Harry and his grandmother.
A month later, Meghan stepped out in a navy tailored frock which she paired with pantyhose while attending an RAF event.
But as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex edged closer to leaving their roles, Meghan appeared to become more lax with the unofficial dress code, increasing began to step out with bare legs.
Perhaps Meghan’s dislike for hosiery stems from when she was snapped at the Festival of Remembrance in 2018 with mysterious stains all over her nude pantyhouse
Meghan stepped out in a navy tailored frock which she paired with pantyhose while attending an RAF event in 2018
Meghan said in an interview on Tuesday that she felt wearing the accessory was ‘little bit inauthentic’
During many outings, she would often wear nude-coloured tights to polish off her look, seemingly taking inspiration from the late Queen, who was barely seen without hosiery
The Duchess has not had the best track record with hosiery, after it was alleged that she and her sister-in-law, Kate, argued over whether young bridesmaids should wear tights at Meghan’s wedding
The Princess of Wales wanted the bridesmaids, including Charlotte, then three, to wear pantyhose at Meghan’s 2018 wedding but she disagreed
After the Duke and Duchess of Sussex tied the knot in 2018, rumours swirled that Meghan and Kate had a row about whether Princess Charlotte and the other young bridesmaids should wear tights.
Society bible Tatler details the alleged fall-out in a profile of Kate in an issue, quoting one unnamed friend who claims she wanted to follow ‘protocol’.
The Princess of Wales wanted the bridesmaids, including Charlotte, then three, to wear pantyhose but Meghan disagreed.
‘There was an incident at the wedding rehearsal,’ the source said. ‘It was a hot day and apparently there was a row over whether the bridesmaids should wear tights or not.
‘Kate, following protocol, felt that they should. Meghan didn’t want them to.’
Pictures from the wedding at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, appear to show the six bridesmaids with bare legs, while photographs from Prince William and Kate’s wedding in April 2011 show bridesmaids wearing tights.
Perhaps Meghan’s dislike for hosiery stems from when she was snapped at the Festival of Remembrance in 2018 with mysterious stains all over her nude pantyhouse.
Donning a Stella McCartney coat, Meghan, who was pregnant with Archie at the time, stepped out in shimmery tights.
However, it appears they had gotten wet in the rain and had blotches of water marks all over them, which became highly visible with the flash from cameras.
At the time, royal fans were baffled by the wardrobe malfunction, with one writing: ‘What has Meghan Markle spilled on her tights?’
Another said it looked like she’d painted them with clear nail polish to stop laddering, whereas others pointed out that her tights had clearly got wet in the rain and the glare of the flashbulbs left the resulting watermarks more obvious.
But it is not the first time Meghan’s hosiery has left royal fans divided.
On her first official engagement as the Duchess of Sussex, just days after her wedding, she was criticised for wearing tights that were far too pale for her skin tone.
It’s not the first time Meghan’s hosiery has left royal fans divided.
On her first official engagement as the Duchess of Sussex, just days after her wedding in 2018, she was criticised for wearing tights that were far too pale for her skin tone.
However, others were quick to defend Meghan, with one commenting that nude tights can look outdated on anyone, adding that finding the right shade for her skin tone may have been difficult seven years ago.
Meghan appeared to opt for pantyhose during high profile events, such as Royal Ascot (pictured in 2018)
The Duchess of Sussex is seen wearing nude tights during the Queen’s Young Leaders Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace in 2018
Meghan (pictured in November 2018) was also snapped wearing black tights on occasion
In one of their final outings as working royals, Meghan and Harry are seen attending the Commonwealth Day Service in March 2020, right before the Covid lockdown
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are seen attending a Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in March 2019
Meghan is seen wearing hosiery while attending a service at Westminster Abbey marking The Centenary Of WW1 Armistice at Westminster Abbey in 2018
Brands such as Pendeza, Own Brown and Bianca Miller, set up by a former Apprentice candidate, specialise in tights for darker skin tones, whereas high street stores may have carried a limited shade range.
Hours later the interview with Emily Chang was released, the Duchess unveiled new ‘seasonal’ products including a £10.83 orange marmalade on her Netflix affiliated lifestyle website, As Ever.
Meghan strategically timed the launch of her latest items to coincide with the release of her new eight pat series, with Love Meghan, which landed on Netflix this morning.
However, as her new products were launched on the website it appeared to have experienced a technical glitch, with generic shirts with ‘example product title’ and no descriptions showing on the screen.
It comes after the second season of her series, which features high-profile guest such as Chrissy Teigen, John Legend and fashion expert Tan France, debuted to a wave of lukewarm reviews.
The show, which sees Meghan take on baking and cooking tasks in a rustic farmhouse-style setting, has already divided critics, with many branding it ‘staged’, ‘contrived’, and ‘toe-curling’.
Yet, undeterred by the backlash, Meghan’s team announced new As Ever products will soon be hitting the shelves, with a newsletter revealing the next day’s product drop would include a ‘delectable new fruit spread.’
Previously, Meghan already discussed what she had to sacrifice in order to be a royal, such as her lifestyle blog The Tig, which she ditched in April 2017, a few months before her engagement to Harry.
She linked the decision to the immense changes that came with joining the institution.
When relaunching her lifestyle brand As Ever in February, Meghan said: ‘As Ever essentially means as it’s always been, and if you’ve followed me since 2014 with The Tig, you know I’ve always loved cooking and crafting and gardening – this is what I do.
‘And I haven’t been able to share it with you in the same way for the past few years, but now I can so, as things are starting to trickle out there, I wanted you to hear it from me first.’
