Why Meghan Markle's Platinum Jubilee Appearance Has People Talking About Princess Diana
Fashion remains one of the primary highlights of all royal events. Not only do they tend to be a parade of stylishly quirky hats and fanciful frocks, but many ensembles carry some cultural and historical significance. Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee has packed a sizzle reel's worth of best-dressed guests. At June 2's Trooping the Colour, the queen watched the proceedings in a blue ensemble adorned with an ornate diamante trimming (per Independent). Her outfit's standout, however, was her stately, hand-crafted walking cane — an apparent gift from the British Army.
Meanwhile, Kate Middleton's sartorial choices at June 3's Service of Thanksgiving also carried royal importance. Kate sported an eye-catching saucer-like hat matching her canary yellow dress (via Newsweek). As with Elizabeth, the Duchess of Cambridge's accessories were the true draw of the ensemble. Her diamond and pearl sparklers, known as the "Bahrain Pearl Earrings," per Newsweek, were on loan from the queen's private collection. Reportedly crafted from pearls that were Elizabeth's wedding present, the earrings have been worn by everyone from Princess Diana and Princess Sophie, to Countess Wessex. Most recently, they were seen on Kate at Prince Philip's April 2021 funeral.
The question on everyone's minds, however, was what Meghan Markle wore for the festivities. Never one to disappoint in this department, the Duchess of Sussex also added a touch of sentiment to one of her outfits.
Meghan Markle's Platinum Jubilee outfit was a callback to Princess Diana
Meghan Markle returned to the U.K, wearing all-white, but this time, it wasn't for a royal wedding. At the Platinum Jubilee Thanksgiving service at St. Paul's Cathedral on June 3, Meghan wore a Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2022 set, per Page Six, which included a white belted trenchcoat and wool skirt. The duchess also rocked white gloves, a wide-brimmed hat, and a pair of pointy pumps — all Dior, as well. Reportedly, Meghan also carried a purse by the fashion house known as the Lady Dior.
The boxy handbag, as well as Meghan's choice to drape herself in head-to-toe Dior, is being hailed as a tribute to Princess Diana. According to Page Six, Diana was a Dior devotee after her divorce from Prince Charles, being gifted the Lady Dior by French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac's wife, Bernadette, in 1995. The "Lady" in Lady Dior is a direct reference to Diana, with Dior renaming the purse in 1996 after the princess took a shine to it.
The Service of Thanksgiving appearance was Meghan and husband Prince Harry's first public appearance at a royal occasion since attending the 2020 Commonwealth Day Service, per Newsweek. Given their resignation as working royals in late 2019, this June outing carries great significance in itself.