I absolutely agree with you about Kate’s ensemble today. What a stunning color, a complete hit! And while I agree with your analysis on what Meghan *tried to accomplish with her dress coat today, I simply cannot get behind her ill tailored clothing for all royal events that she attends. I cannot wrap my mind around the fact that nothing she wears seems to fit her well, when they could if she would get the items tailored. Would love for some to explain if I am missing a certain (California?) aesthetic or design style here.
I always enjoy seeing all the outfits (whether they are to my personal taste or not) and these last 2 days have not disappointed! Sophie Winkleman was wearing a beautiful headband (?) today that had flowers on one side- maybe my favorite “hat” thus far. Kate looked lovely in yellow and I loved Meghan’s Dior- so chic! I’ve missed royal fashion over the past few years, so this has been fun.
Considering everything, this event regarding H&M was handled very diplomatically. The message was sent loud and clear but not in a cruel manner. Having said that, I imagine Harry must have regret...he is clearly on the outside looking in. Harry would have been resplendent in uniform and on a horse yesterday and we probably would have seen a wonderful balcony show with all the Queen's family and "downsizing" put off to another day.
I totally agree that this trip was very intentional....it really is time to gather as much of the royal fairy dust as possible. The whole thing is really very sad...to have thrown it all away in such an ugly manner when they could have done So much with their roles.
I didn’t think Meghan’s look was wholly successful due to her choice of color and style, neither of which did her unfortunately relatively thick-waisted figure any favors. She may not be as square torso-ed as her clothes make her appear. White makes anyone look bigger and the bulk of the trench style doesn’t help. Neither does her tendency towards poor tailoring, which can make what is probably a size 4 or 6 body look like 10 pounds of sugar in a 5 pound bag. I cannot understand why her clothes don’t fit when she buys couture. She is not a good brand ambassador for the quality of Dior’s atelier! Kate doesn’t have a perfect body either but she has almost always seemed to understand the strengths and weaknesses of her figure and dress to accentuate her tiny waist and slim hips, long legs etc. Meghan has no waist and disproportionately toothpick like legs but seems to choose clothes that accentuate that. Her fondness for wide-legged dress shorts is inexplicable as it makes her legs look even more strangely thin and her torso even bigger and more apple-like. She also has a broad back but chooses ill fitting styles with straps that cut and bunch and otherwise make her look terrible. The photo Nacho Figueroa’s wife released of her from behind in a Emilia Wickstead dress is shocking. Her back in the style of the dress makes her look plus sized. She should burn that dress.
As always I enjoyed your analysis, Jane. That color looked absolutely stunning on Kate. As for Meghan and Harry, I am curious about their next step. Are they going to continue to play nice with the royals or will they slowly leak stories once they are back in California? I don't think trashing the family on Oprah had the effect Meghan was hoping for. Will be interesting to see if they change tactics in the future.
Catherine looked beautiful as usual. I liked (didn’t love) Meghan’s look since it didn’t fit properly again - especially from the back. But I’m glad she didn’t go with a dark color or something over the top like the green number.
I thought the rest of the women looked lovely - Beatrice seems to have upped her game.
What a sad state of affairs that these two are back for photo ops in a country and at events that they appear to disdain AND they hope to merch off it for the rest of their lives. Unbelievable.
Thank you Jane for your report about today's event. I found Catherine absolutely stunning in yellow, she has such an exceptional figure! Concerning yesterday, it's difficult to forget that Harry has been bold enough to sue HM 's government for his lack of security when he is in the UK.... and when he is offered an armored car, then his wife rolls down the window! that's rich!
Beautiful ceremony which was always going to be pushed off kilter a little by the H & M situation. By inheritance, Harry should have been in the front row across from the first two heirs or else, if they didn’t want to do that, i would have put the Queen’s children and their families in order of birth and then the grandchildren following: Charles, Anne and then Edward as the Queen’s children and spouses. Then the grandchildren. This mixed bag looks awkward to me but I am not an expert on Royal etiquette. And William is indeed shouldering a lot of responsibility.
Meghan’s dress is almost identical to one that Kate wore a couple of years ago and put side by side, in the fashion stakes, she didn’t come off well. For reasons others have said in the Comments. As someone who is short, I would follow a stylist because I never end up looking anything like the fashion mags :) Meghan isn’t short but she doesn’t have her actress figure anymore either (not criticizing just thinking she needs a good stylist to adjust to the body change of two children.) The hat Meghan wore yesterday was almost identical to one that Princess Diana wore for a balcony appearance. Granted though it’s a limited choice for looking sophisticated but understated at these occasions. I thought Zara, Beatrice and Sophie Winkleman looked fabulous. But they also seemed comfortable and Meghan did not.
I really hope that M & H are not busy using the Queen’s absence from public events to help their own narratives. She is frail and I think she IS vulnerable to Harry’s suggestion of “let’s just have a couple of photos for the family album.” And then all of a sudden they pop up in People. Although, again, since M & H have been diligent in keeping Archie & Lili out of the public eye, don’t know if they’ll go that route.
For me, that’s the issue with these two. Every time I think they can’t possibly be as crass as I think they are, they shock me. I am still reeling from Uvalde.
Eugenie and Beatrice can really dress, and they don't get the credit for it. I imagine because they aren't the stars of the family, but those two bring it everytime. They are all about fashion. Kate looked like Kate - very nice. I love that yellow and her tailoring was perfection as usual. Meghan doesn't wear the right silouettes, ever. Designers don't design for her...they design for the Kate and Diana's of the world -- long and lean. That's not fair, but women around the world deal with this. Meghan would do well to get a personal tailor. And although her outfit was ill fitting, it was memorable and that was her point. I loved the gloves and she looked lovely. In the end, she and Harry got what they came for -- a sprinkling of Royal fairy dust to recharge their sagging brand. How long it will last no one knows. Their brand is grievance and victimhood, and that's hard to sustain as they have seen. They cannot, after this display, go back to California and continue to trash the RF and complain how the RF mistreats them. They'll sound absurd and lose what's left of their credibility. So what do they do? Cross the pond and attend more big events? There won't be another Jubilee. I think they want back in -- all in -- and that's what this trip is about. I think there are talks behind the scenes. That might account for why Harry has looked stressed this entire trip. Jane, what do you think? You always have the keen, intelligent assessment.
I wonder if the Sussexes engineered their own slightly later arrival I noticed they were out if sequence when they got to their seats and had to disturb others to get their places
Thanks for the insightful commentary available nowhere else. For me fashion is best appreciated within the context of how the wearer chooses to live their life. As has been so well stated below,
there's no explanation for the poor tailoring of Dior. Wonder how the designer feels about this. Belting the bottom of the rib cage isn't a wise choice for her. Queen Mathilde of Belgium is similarly challenged (with a short waist), and Meghan could learn something from Mathilde's better ensembles. The gloves were a nice touch; as usual accessories are her forte.
This was one of Meghan’s better looks, but I also think it looked much better from the front than the back and it didn’t suit her body at all, esp the collar which didn’t do her any favours. Does she completely override any good advice she receives from the couture houses? And I have to think that having H&M in their own vehicle with their own procession was a wise move — it spared other family members the chance of getting booed by proximity, and limited photos/footage of H&M with other family members; from the looks on H&M’s faces and the seated guests in the church, their personal procession was rather more of a penance than a reward. Harry’s glowering once seated was quite telling.
I too didn’t think they’d attend, but I suspect their decision depended heavily on their business commitments and the Queen’s increasing fragility just in the last month; they likely realized, or were told by partners such as Netflix and Random House, that it’s now or never, and that not being with Harry’s grandmother to celebrate this momentous occasion would be a choice with serious consequences for their popularity and ability to sell television shows and books. They’re clearly reaping what they’ve sown. Rather than having found freedom, they are beholden to businesses that are calling the shots, which means going back to the family they trashed so publicly. As you write, Jane, they’ve been trading on their royal connections all along and need the continued connections, which are probably more forthcoming from the Queen than, when the time comes, from Charles and William. Though any major new partner who might be interested in working with them has had the chance these past two and half years to observe their lack of commitment and way they treat business partners (including the royal family), and their polarizing, and fading, reputation; I noticed that the pinky ring company used one of the “melodramatic shushing” photos — with three of the Queen’s minor great-granddaughters no less — and had to turn off comments on IG.
I absolutely agree with you about Kate’s ensemble today. What a stunning color, a complete hit! And while I agree with your analysis on what Meghan *tried to accomplish with her dress coat today, I simply cannot get behind her ill tailored clothing for all royal events that she attends. I cannot wrap my mind around the fact that nothing she wears seems to fit her well, when they could if she would get the items tailored. Would love for some to explain if I am missing a certain (California?) aesthetic or design style here.
Hoping the weekend remains drama free! 🙏🏼
Always look forward to your take. This moment was inevitable. They are family at the end of the day.
I always enjoy seeing all the outfits (whether they are to my personal taste or not) and these last 2 days have not disappointed! Sophie Winkleman was wearing a beautiful headband (?) today that had flowers on one side- maybe my favorite “hat” thus far. Kate looked lovely in yellow and I loved Meghan’s Dior- so chic! I’ve missed royal fashion over the past few years, so this has been fun.
Considering everything, this event regarding H&M was handled very diplomatically. The message was sent loud and clear but not in a cruel manner. Having said that, I imagine Harry must have regret...he is clearly on the outside looking in. Harry would have been resplendent in uniform and on a horse yesterday and we probably would have seen a wonderful balcony show with all the Queen's family and "downsizing" put off to another day.
I totally agree that this trip was very intentional....it really is time to gather as much of the royal fairy dust as possible. The whole thing is really very sad...to have thrown it all away in such an ugly manner when they could have done So much with their roles.
I didn’t think Meghan’s look was wholly successful due to her choice of color and style, neither of which did her unfortunately relatively thick-waisted figure any favors. She may not be as square torso-ed as her clothes make her appear. White makes anyone look bigger and the bulk of the trench style doesn’t help. Neither does her tendency towards poor tailoring, which can make what is probably a size 4 or 6 body look like 10 pounds of sugar in a 5 pound bag. I cannot understand why her clothes don’t fit when she buys couture. She is not a good brand ambassador for the quality of Dior’s atelier! Kate doesn’t have a perfect body either but she has almost always seemed to understand the strengths and weaknesses of her figure and dress to accentuate her tiny waist and slim hips, long legs etc. Meghan has no waist and disproportionately toothpick like legs but seems to choose clothes that accentuate that. Her fondness for wide-legged dress shorts is inexplicable as it makes her legs look even more strangely thin and her torso even bigger and more apple-like. She also has a broad back but chooses ill fitting styles with straps that cut and bunch and otherwise make her look terrible. The photo Nacho Figueroa’s wife released of her from behind in a Emilia Wickstead dress is shocking. Her back in the style of the dress makes her look plus sized. She should burn that dress.
As always I enjoyed your analysis, Jane. That color looked absolutely stunning on Kate. As for Meghan and Harry, I am curious about their next step. Are they going to continue to play nice with the royals or will they slowly leak stories once they are back in California? I don't think trashing the family on Oprah had the effect Meghan was hoping for. Will be interesting to see if they change tactics in the future.
Catherine looked beautiful as usual. I liked (didn’t love) Meghan’s look since it didn’t fit properly again - especially from the back. But I’m glad she didn’t go with a dark color or something over the top like the green number.
I thought the rest of the women looked lovely - Beatrice seems to have upped her game.
What a sad state of affairs that these two are back for photo ops in a country and at events that they appear to disdain AND they hope to merch off it for the rest of their lives. Unbelievable.
I forgot to mention that I thought Eugenie looked absolutely stunning! The two sisters have definitely upped their fashion game of late.
Thank you Jane for your report about today's event. I found Catherine absolutely stunning in yellow, she has such an exceptional figure! Concerning yesterday, it's difficult to forget that Harry has been bold enough to sue HM 's government for his lack of security when he is in the UK.... and when he is offered an armored car, then his wife rolls down the window! that's rich!
Beautiful ceremony which was always going to be pushed off kilter a little by the H & M situation. By inheritance, Harry should have been in the front row across from the first two heirs or else, if they didn’t want to do that, i would have put the Queen’s children and their families in order of birth and then the grandchildren following: Charles, Anne and then Edward as the Queen’s children and spouses. Then the grandchildren. This mixed bag looks awkward to me but I am not an expert on Royal etiquette. And William is indeed shouldering a lot of responsibility.
Meghan’s dress is almost identical to one that Kate wore a couple of years ago and put side by side, in the fashion stakes, she didn’t come off well. For reasons others have said in the Comments. As someone who is short, I would follow a stylist because I never end up looking anything like the fashion mags :) Meghan isn’t short but she doesn’t have her actress figure anymore either (not criticizing just thinking she needs a good stylist to adjust to the body change of two children.) The hat Meghan wore yesterday was almost identical to one that Princess Diana wore for a balcony appearance. Granted though it’s a limited choice for looking sophisticated but understated at these occasions. I thought Zara, Beatrice and Sophie Winkleman looked fabulous. But they also seemed comfortable and Meghan did not.
I really hope that M & H are not busy using the Queen’s absence from public events to help their own narratives. She is frail and I think she IS vulnerable to Harry’s suggestion of “let’s just have a couple of photos for the family album.” And then all of a sudden they pop up in People. Although, again, since M & H have been diligent in keeping Archie & Lili out of the public eye, don’t know if they’ll go that route.
For me, that’s the issue with these two. Every time I think they can’t possibly be as crass as I think they are, they shock me. I am still reeling from Uvalde.
Eugenie and Beatrice can really dress, and they don't get the credit for it. I imagine because they aren't the stars of the family, but those two bring it everytime. They are all about fashion. Kate looked like Kate - very nice. I love that yellow and her tailoring was perfection as usual. Meghan doesn't wear the right silouettes, ever. Designers don't design for her...they design for the Kate and Diana's of the world -- long and lean. That's not fair, but women around the world deal with this. Meghan would do well to get a personal tailor. And although her outfit was ill fitting, it was memorable and that was her point. I loved the gloves and she looked lovely. In the end, she and Harry got what they came for -- a sprinkling of Royal fairy dust to recharge their sagging brand. How long it will last no one knows. Their brand is grievance and victimhood, and that's hard to sustain as they have seen. They cannot, after this display, go back to California and continue to trash the RF and complain how the RF mistreats them. They'll sound absurd and lose what's left of their credibility. So what do they do? Cross the pond and attend more big events? There won't be another Jubilee. I think they want back in -- all in -- and that's what this trip is about. I think there are talks behind the scenes. That might account for why Harry has looked stressed this entire trip. Jane, what do you think? You always have the keen, intelligent assessment.
I wonder if the Sussexes engineered their own slightly later arrival I noticed they were out if sequence when they got to their seats and had to disturb others to get their places
Thanks for the insightful commentary available nowhere else. For me fashion is best appreciated within the context of how the wearer chooses to live their life. As has been so well stated below,
there's no explanation for the poor tailoring of Dior. Wonder how the designer feels about this. Belting the bottom of the rib cage isn't a wise choice for her. Queen Mathilde of Belgium is similarly challenged (with a short waist), and Meghan could learn something from Mathilde's better ensembles. The gloves were a nice touch; as usual accessories are her forte.
This was one of Meghan’s better looks, but I also think it looked much better from the front than the back and it didn’t suit her body at all, esp the collar which didn’t do her any favours. Does she completely override any good advice she receives from the couture houses? And I have to think that having H&M in their own vehicle with their own procession was a wise move — it spared other family members the chance of getting booed by proximity, and limited photos/footage of H&M with other family members; from the looks on H&M’s faces and the seated guests in the church, their personal procession was rather more of a penance than a reward. Harry’s glowering once seated was quite telling.
I too didn’t think they’d attend, but I suspect their decision depended heavily on their business commitments and the Queen’s increasing fragility just in the last month; they likely realized, or were told by partners such as Netflix and Random House, that it’s now or never, and that not being with Harry’s grandmother to celebrate this momentous occasion would be a choice with serious consequences for their popularity and ability to sell television shows and books. They’re clearly reaping what they’ve sown. Rather than having found freedom, they are beholden to businesses that are calling the shots, which means going back to the family they trashed so publicly. As you write, Jane, they’ve been trading on their royal connections all along and need the continued connections, which are probably more forthcoming from the Queen than, when the time comes, from Charles and William. Though any major new partner who might be interested in working with them has had the chance these past two and half years to observe their lack of commitment and way they treat business partners (including the royal family), and their polarizing, and fading, reputation; I noticed that the pinky ring company used one of the “melodramatic shushing” photos — with three of the Queen’s minor great-granddaughters no less — and had to turn off comments on IG.
I was looking at my comment below. Wow, how much has changed!