The Duchess wore a familiar look for the final engagements of the royal tour.
This afternoon the Duke and Duchess met with Graça Machel, the widow of the late former President Nelson Mandela. Below, a video of the royals as they arrived at the British High Commissioner’s residence in Johannesburg.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are meeting with Graça Machel in Johannesburg on the final day of #RoyalVisitSouthAfrica #Harry #Meghan Mrs Machel told Meghan she felt sure she would work with the couple in the future: “I can feel the vibe.” pic.twitter.com/dnWKzfO7UM
— Roya Nikkhah (@RoyaNikkhah) October 2, 2019
The Duke last met with Mrs Machel in South Africa in 2015. More from Erin Vanderhoof’s Vanity Fair story:
Machel is known for her humanitarian work in her own right. She has a law degree and won the U.N.’s Nanda medal in 1995 for her work on the rights of refugee children. Harry first met Machel in 2015, when he was on a trip to learn about conservation and endangered animals, and they last saw each other in London earlier this year.
Here you see Harry and Mrs. Machal at that 2015 meeting. They are in Nelson Mandela’s office at the Nelson Mandela Foundation Centre of Memory.
Today the couple was welcomed by Emma Wade-Smith (c), the UK Trade Commissioner for Africa and Nigel Casey, British High Commissioner.
The Sussex Royal Instagram account shared that “Their Royal Highnesses were delighted to be able to meet Graça and her family, and talk about their shared passion for their work on equality and human rights”.Vanity Fair’s story also reports Mrs. Machel said, “It’s wonderful meeting you. I’m sure we’re going to be working together in the future. I can feel the vibe”.
Next on the agenda, a reception celebrating the business relationship between the UK and South Africa.
The event was at the official residence of Emma Wade-Smith (seen at the podium), the UK Trade Commissioner. A quick video of the Duchess and Ms. Wade-Smith.
Meghan and Harry are at the High Commissioner’s Residence for a Creative Industries and Business Reception to meet British and South Africa investors and South African female entrepreneurs… pic.twitter.com/VjVMrDBS1r
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) October 2, 2019
Guests included “investors, creatives, & leaders both young & young at heart,” per Nigel Casey.
Meghan delivered remarks at the function. More from Omid Scobie’s Harper’s Bazaar story:
The duchess spoke candidly about her hopes for enacting change in South Africa, and the lasting effect the visit will have on her young family.
Over the past 10 days our family has had emotional moments, we’ve had poignant moments, we’ve had spiritual moments; we’ve met inspirational leaders in every walk of life, and we’ve been treated to incredible food, music, and dancing. But above all, we have been able to meet the people that are the rocks behind the sort of work that really means a so much to us…
The royals then made an official call on the President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, and First Lady Dr Tshepo Motsepe.
The meeting was at Mahlamba Ndlopfu, the President’s official residence in Pretoria.
The residence offers a stunning view.
Now for what Meghan wore to the varying events this afternoon.
Most everyone recognized her dress immediately, a sleeveless trench style. The Duchess first wore it to the opening of “Nelson Mandela: The Centenary Exhibition” in July 2018.
From the Spring/Summer 2018 collection the Sleeveless Trench ($1085 CAD, roughly $815 USD) by Nonie offers a classic trench silhouette and details, minus the sleeves. This piece is made in a stretchy blend of cotton/nylon/spandex fabric that is described as mid-weight.
The Duchess accessorized with the Stuart Weitzman ‘Legend’ pumps in Haze Beige seen earlier today, and at other tour engagements. Unfortunately, the style is no longer available.
Meghan’s jewelry included the Jennifer Meyer turquoise ring and earrings we’ve seen throughout the tour.
And the Alemdara Handan Bracelet in 18ct yellow gold with a turquoise enamel eye (£775, roughly $952 at today’s exchange rates). We show it below as worn at another engagement.
Are you following us on Instagram?! Our latest What Meghan Wore Instagram posts are below:
VIDEOS:
Here is roughly 1 minute of the couple’s meeting with President Ramaphosa and First Lady Dr Tshepo Motsepe.
Channel 5 offers almost 25 minutes coverage of the day’s engagements in this piece.
LINKAGE:
- The Telegraph’s coverage is here; Victoria Murphy’s Town & Country story is here; USA Today’s piece is here; an Express article is here; News 24’s story is here; a Daily Mail piece is here; The Mirror’s coverage is here
- Hello! article is here; Vanity Fair’s piece is here; the Fug Girls post is here
Lindsay says
I’m a late commenter here… mostly because I didn’t have much to say about this outfit. However, since she has been back in London and wearing that amazing, vibrantly colored dresses and skirts, I have to reiterate what others are saying. This dress, while lovely, is pretty blah. I actually loved the other colorway of her Mayamiko dress and wish she had picked some flashy colors to wear! Of her shirt dresses, only the Room 502 one made an impression on me (and more because it’s an ethical fashion line). I did buy the BR trench in the white but that’s because it suits my job. She was in Africa! More colors!
Unrelated to outfits, but was anyone else kind of tired of the turquoise jewelry? I find that to be a tricky color to match and while I applaud her for more reserved choices, simple gold studs and her gold wedding band would have been perfect. The turquoise was an odd choice for almost every ensemble.
WhatMeghanWore says
Hi Lindsay – Meghan has been wearing a lot of turquoise jewelry, we’re thinking, as more of a spiritual and symbolic purpose. The stone brings protection, peace, and balance to the person wearing it. There is a long list of other symbolic meanings behind the stone. I would expect to see Meghan continue to wear the stone for some time. I actually love it for the color. Depending on what you are wearing it really does look so pretty with so many colors in the spectrum. thanks, Susan C
Laura says
I loved this dress when she debuted it at the Nelson Mandela exhibit, and it as an absolutely appropriate re-wear. For those saying it doesn’t fit properly, I think fit is hard to determine with trench dresses. I do think the front of the dress is too busy, with buttons, waist tie/belt and bunching in her waist and high collar, which all sort of overwhelm her body. However, i think the length of the dress, pale blush color and sleek style elements all combine to look lovely, again.
G says
The dress does not fit her well right now. Pulls under the arm, at the button, at the bust. Dress for the body you have now, I say. She’s probably not the same size as pre-baby (and that’s ok)and that’s what this dress showcases. Style is ok, fit is not.
Merri says
Simply she is demonstrating no matter who you are or what you are doing keep it simple, smart and just because you wore it before does not mean it is not relevant. Meghan is showing all of us, simple and a smart wardrobe does not lead to waste or mean we are not professional. Love her push back.
MaryN says
… Or to add to my shweshwe comment… Chitenge Malawian print is just as lovely and even more colourful. Please, please please. If you are a woman and famous and paying Africa a visit – please leave the khaki greens and beiges at home.
Bonnie says
I’ve been to several countries in Africa and love the colourful prints that the women wear. As for the khaki greens and beiges, some people, to include men, believe they are going on safari. True they might be going to a game preserve, but that is only a small part of what there is to see in Africa.
MaryN says
Hi, Graqa is wearing shweshwe print. Originally only in blue, and on cotton, the print is now available in all colours and a wide variety of geometric forms. It was the traditional wear of Xhosa women, but the print is popular now with many South Africans and even international. Spelling may differ in different SA dialects-some would say isishweshwe, for example. I hope to live to see the the day that a famous international woman actually wears this print instead of khaki when coming to Africa. Or even the kikoi of Kenya or the kanga of Tanzania.
WhatMeghanWore says
Hi Mary – Thank you so much for the information on Graça Machel’s 2 piece outfit. – The Susans
Bertie says
Thanks for the fabric ID and the local culture update!
MaryN says
If Meghan did not wear this kind of khaki colours and trench dresses with collars etc. before, I might have thought she stepped into the same kind of ‘colonial’ kind of dressing up (or down) that famous people do when visiting Africa. (Think Melania Trump). Africa has such incredibly colourful, vibrant, and flamboyant prints, that it is sad that celebrities and the famous visitors don’t recognize, and give a nod to it more often, instead of staying with colonial beige and neutrals and khakis. The black and white Malawi print was the closest she got to celebrating the rich African prints available. We Africans love to dress up for an occasion and Megjan looked underdressed sometimes. I am sure she meant well but it can also look as if she thinks people in Africa do not know how to dress fancy, and that she had to dress dull to not offend. Africans, even the poorest, can look spectacularly well dressed and up for the occassion. One always feel a bit disappointed if everybody went to great trouble to look very nice and the guest of honour looks underdressed.
JennB2112 says
It’s not that these haven’t been lovely clothes but I just think it’s been a bit dull and repetitive with all the wrap dress, muted colors and similar styles.
I knew it wasn’t going to be ball gowns but I had hoped for a few exciting outfits.
Carol says
Quick comment, as I have posted on the repeat style already. But the belt issue could have been remedied if she had tied the belts on all the multiple shirt dresses and trench dress with the belt in a single knot and maybe off to the side of her hip instead of the middle of her waist. This just drew attention to the middle and the belt which was tied up ward drew even more attention to it. Had it been tied and layed more flat it would not have been so noticible. Common sence to me. Again as this post is on what she wore I feel I can mention these things as of course the real reasons what she is trying to draw her celebrity to is far more important. God bless her and her family..
Silke says
Was there ever an explanation as to why Meghan didn’t wear her engagement ring on the tour?
WhatMeghanWore says
The reports I read indicated it was because she wanted to be low key. That was also reflected in her wardrobe. -sek ?
ElizaMo says
I have to say I don’t mind how many times Meghan wears this particular House of Nonie as it’s one of my all-time favourites. I thought the styling and cut were perfect the first time we saw it and even though we’re on our fifth shirtdress in succession, each one has had a distinct character. This one is all quality cut and tailoring, appropriate for meeting the president, where the previous white Nonie was in a dreamy realm of its own. I love seeing hair up again, which switches us out of the earlier informal loose hair and the Legend pumps and Jennifer Meyer earrings are doing sterling service once again, keeping Meghan as polished as one could wish a royal to be. A great trip, and thanks for all the hard work with posts!
Ellen says
I’ve said this before & to me, this dress is a great example of it… she tends to tightly cinch her belts. I think the dress would look better if the belt weren’t so tightly cinched, when it’s tight the dress bunches. Maybe replace the tie with an actual belt?
LadyLeah says
I really enjoy seeing re-wears. I think it reflects how clothes worn repeatedly have a different feel or a slightly altered look. This was a crisp and lovely look.
Ava Pittman says
The Duchess looks nice, but colour of her dress is soft and suits her well. Have to agree with a lot of the comments about the fit of her dress, but she still looks fine. I have to say, Graca looked absolutely stunning. I just love what she wore, she is so elegant and graceful. The colour was beautiful on her.
Ndozi says
I like trench dresses – but wearing this one and the Banana Republic one of the same color on the tour is not a great choice, especially worn not many days apart. Only one of the dress tan trench dresses need be bought on tour, seems overkill to have both when they are so very similar except in length.
The blue button down dress is the most successful to me on this tour, and I do love these Weitzman heels – the color and stlye is elegant and they look nice on her.
Laurie says
Meghan looks very pretty, as always. But this outfit is a huge miss for me. The dress is fine in and of itself. But it doesn’t fit her properly, now that has body has changed after pregnancy. The buttons are pulling across her bust and the dress is bunched at the waist. Also this doesn’t seem like the right garment for meeting high profile dignitaries. It feels right for a reception at a museum exhibit (as the previous wearing), but not for a visit to a nation’s president and to one of the country’s most prominent civil rights leaders.
Rhiannon says
She wore it as a tribute to when she attended the opening of the Mandela exhibit last year. A very thoughtful gesture.
Brit0728 says
This is one of my favorite dresses Meghan owns, and I really like it with her hair styled up, a definite win today, IMO. I will say, however, that I don’t think photographing a woman from the back is very polite, especially when they gave birth less than six months ago. I’m disappointed that this photo was posted on the WMW site. I’m sure the thought was to show the detailing of the dress, but you are also showing the postpartum body of a woman who likely has at least a little self-consciousness about her figure at the moment (at least in photos publicly posted online). Does it fit as well as the first time? No. Does she look nice? Yes. The turquoise accents, though tiny, are a pretty contrast to this shade of pink. Her makeup looks very good here as well.
WhatMeghanWore says
Hi, Brit, and thank you for commenting. We appreciate your input because we are both sensitive to this issue, and it is helpful to hear different perspectives on the topic. We strive for coverage that is respectful and appropriate and are grateful when someone takes the time to let us know when they think we have not met that goal. In this case, we included the photo with the flag made of flowers because it looked like a spectacular display and because we thought it conveyed a sense of the reception atmosphere. Neither one of us thought about it as a way to focus on the back of the garment; in fact, Meghan and Harry were essentially incidental because we thought the flag was so lovely.
In the past, we have licensed images to showcase the back of a dress or jacket or ensemble, but that was not the intent here. This particular picture was a ‘handout’ provided by Nigel Casey, the High Commissioner; if we did want to highlight or emphasize the back of the dress, we would have purchased an image specifically for that purpose. While this may not change your opinion about the image being used in the post, hopefully, it will illuminate our thought process on including the picture. Susan C. & Susan K. 🙂
Sarah Ashley says
I didn’t even have a baby six months ago & I would kill to look like that from behind!
mocro says
I agree. I think she looks normal-sized from behind – and from every other angle. Now let me back out of this room….
Ndozi says
” I don’t think photographing a woman from the back is very polite” Sorry, but that is absolute rubbish.
Linda B says
I wouldn’t blame her for ditching the belts entirely. Or replace them with a bright scarf wrapped around for a thicker pop of color and more intentional finished look.
admin edit
Laurie Kelly says
Bonnie, what a lovely and joyful comment (from a fellow Canuck)
Bonnie says
Thank you, Laurie. 🙂
Tia says
While I think it’s great she has taken a more down to earth approach with this tour like Kate Middleton always does by rewearing items, a lot of the things she has worn this tour have looked kind of odd fitting and that’s really only because she wore most of them when she was a different weight. This trench is a perfect example of that. Loved it the first time around but it just doesn’t work here.
Heather says
This is the dress I thought of last night when I first saw the Banana Republic one. I think this is the 3rd trench dress Meghan has worn on this tour. That’s a bit much considering they are all similar colors. I have to say the Banana Republic one is my favorite of the 3. I’m tempted to buy one myself.
The shoes have certainly done well on this tour. I do like the turquoise jewelry against the neutral dress.
Allison says
I applaud the DoS for re-wearing dresses. However, her shape has changed since the last time she wore this dress. Moving the buttons over would have helped avoid the strain over the bust and hip area and drawn less attention to the “problem areas.” She has been wearing all of her belts higher than usual, perhaps making an adjustment for BaB (Body after Baby). I believe that the most flattering dress was the Wilfred Button-Front Midi Shirt Dress. Being a plus sized woman, I don’t mind or care that Meghan has filled out a bit. She looks healthy and carries it well – I just want her clothes to be well-fitting so it’s not a distraction to those like me that stumble over little details.
Dawn C says
This is how I feel about the fit of her clothes. It’s distracting to see the pulling and bunching and straining of the fabric. But more power to her. She’s still a beautiful woman with a beautiful soul.
Laurel it is says
Is there any information on the dress Graça Machel is wearing? Very lovely.
Meghan has wonderful smile and the people she meets look so happy to see her. I hate to say it, because I’m no fashionista, but between this tour and the last, it seems like she’s still finding her royal-style grove, which is surprising considering how confident her style was pre-royal life. Not a fan of the small jewelry either. Thanks for all the great pictures and information.
WhatMeghanWore says
Hi Laurel, We haven’t read anything on Graca’s dress. I quickly did a search but nothing came up. thanks, SC
MaryN says
Hi, Graqa is wearing shweshwe print. Originally only in blue, and on cotton, the print is now available in all colours and a wide variety of geometric forms. It was the traditional wear of Xhosa women, but the print is popular now with many South Africans and even international. Spellung may differ in different SA dialects-some would say isishweshwe, for example. I hope to live to see the the day that a famous international woman actually wears this print instead of khaki when coming to Africa. Or even the kikoi of Kenya or the kanga of Tanzania.
Kate in Canada says
A second trench dress seems a bit repetitive.
I have loved all her previous and affordable looks. I almost bought the Banana Republic dress this summer.
Alyssa says
I like the dress, but the belt just doesn’t seem right. Honestly none of the dresses with belt look right on her, though I love the style. I didnt realize how many dress with belts/shirt dresses shes worn over the past few days until now.
admin edit
Alyssa says
Admin…why was my comment edited? My statement she might pregnant hence the style of the dresses, is not anything bad?
WhatMeghanWore says
Hi, Alyssa, and thank you for commenting. The comment was edited because we stay away from speculating on whether or not Meghan is expecting. Here is a link to our comment policy. 🙂 https://whatmeghanwore.net/comments-policy/
Jessica says
Lovely. I liked this dress in its initial appearance, too (except the flap, which looks odd to me). Beautiful, subtle color and classic styling. And I think the tie-waist is modern and looks great on her, but I do sometimes wish she’d tie it a little tidier.
The blue-green jewelry is a lovely complement to the blush color of the dress. Those shoes have served her well throughout the tour!
reachel says
A little bland in colour today.
Not feeling the shirt dresses…becoming too boring on her.
SuzyQ says
I like this dress. The pinkish color and length are very good for her. It’s belted, which isn’t the best possible look for her body, but the shoulder details keep the eyes up near her face. (She should perhaps move the belt loops a bit lower if she wants to keep wearing the belt. I don’t think the dress needs it.) Her hair is nice here also. Up off the neckline, but not super slicked back or too “messy.” I’m not a fan of her teeny jewelry, but the dress detailing is enough. My favorite look of the tour.
Rhiannon says
Meghan is far from plus size. I actually like the way the dress fits now better than before, when it seemed slightly too big for her figure.
Bonnie says
As a person who doesn’t like trench dresses, it is hard for me to warm up to this one. Their double breasted styling and their belts seem to give a boxy look, which I don’t find flattering. But I do prefer this trench dress over the shorter one Meghan wore earlier on this trip.
As this tour draws to a close I wanted to add a point of information. Throughout Harry and Meghan’s visits we have seen many groups, who greet them with enthusiastic singing and dancing. This is not just a show for Royals. It is a typical welcome given to visitors in many African countries. Volunteering for a Canadian based charity, that does infrastructure work in East Africa, I do the grant writing to obtain funding to build schools. In 2016, at our own individual expense, some of our volunteers got to visit the schools, where we had funded the building of classrooms. At every place we were welcomed with exuberant singing and dancing, much of which we were encouraged to join. I remember remarking, “This welcome couldn’t have been more special if we were royalty or rock stars.” The African people brim over with joy, in spite of an assortment of difficult living conditions and in many places great poverty. My son, who has spent time living in and doing volunteer work in Africa, says that one of the best things we can do to help the African people, is to visit their countries and bring tourist money into their economy. I would encourage any of you to travel to this continent. If you have the opportunity to visit a school or clinic, you too will receive the welcome, singing and dancing that Harry and Meghan experienced.