The Duchess of Sussex chose Oscar de la Renta for tonight’s Australian Geographic Society Awards.
A quick video from ABC’s Carolyn Durand shows the royals being led to their table.
VIDEO #PrinceHarry and #MeghanMarkle at the Australian Geographic Society Awards Meghan stunning in @OscardelaRenta pic.twitter.com/KbnO5C4sxK
— Carolyn Durand (@CarolynDurand) October 26, 2018
The awards are considered by many to be the most prestigious in the country; they recognize adventure and conservation efforts. Here is a video of Meghan and Harry, it allows you to see the dress and how it moves. (I don’t know if they are arriving or leaving.)
Wow! pic.twitter.com/m83KANNocr
— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) October 26, 2018
More from News.com Australia:
MC for the night was broadcaster Ray Martin who gently reminded the audience not to take any photos of the royals.
“Please don’t try and approach them, they’re not the Kardashians,” he said, prompting much laughter.
Polar explorers Eric Philips and Tim Jarvis were seated at the table with the Duke and Duchess.
Mr Philips was a guide who helped Harry and wounded soldiers from Australia, the United States, Canada and Britain ski to the South Pole in 2013.
Rebecca English reported that HM was presented with a special environmental award for the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy. Started in 2015, the initiative created a network of forest conservation programs throughout the 53 countries of the Commonwealth of Nations. This week Prince Harry marked the inclusion of several more forests under the Canopy; he accepted the award on behalf of his grandmother.
More from the Sydney Morning Herald.
In accepting the award on behalf of his grandmother Prince Harry paid tribute to his father the Duke of Wales and his decades’ long campaigning for the environment.
“My father has been talking about the importance of protecting the environment for decades,” he said.
Emily Nash of Hello! tweeted some of Harry’s remarks.
Harry pays tribute to – and sounds a lot like his father, the Prince of Wales in this speech about the value of conservation: #AGawards18 #RoyalTourAustralia pic.twitter.com/XUhZF7E9I0
— Emily Nash (@emynash) October 26, 2018
The Duchess of Sussex presented Sophia Skarparis with the Young Conservationist of the Year Award, for her work to ban plastic bags in New South Wales. 
More from News.com:
The petition she started gained 10,000 signatures and led to the issue being debated in NSW state parliament. Sophia told news.com.au Meghan said she was an “inspiration”.
“She congratulated me and told me to keep the hard work up and I thanked her for that,” Sophia said.
Embed from Getty Images
And the Duke presented Jade Hameister with the Young Adventurer of the Year Award. In 2018 Jade, 16, became the youngest person to ski to both the North and South poles. 
Now for our look at What Meghan wore. 
She was in a dress from the Oscar de la Renta pre-fall 2018 collection. 
It is white tulle, sleeveless, with a ballerina skirt, embellished with black laser cut birds.This gives you a closer view of the fabric. 
Gulls and birds were a key design component in the collection.
The Duchess wore her Aquazzura Deveuve Bow Pumps.
It did not look like Meghan carried a bag. It is difficult to discern which earrings she is wearing. It appears the Duchess is wearing a new ring, possibly by Birks. There isn’t any confirmation on the brand, but they look much like several Birks rings I have seen at the jeweler. 
Meghan wore her hair down this evening.
We will try to update later!
LINKAGE:
- Learn more about the Australian Geographic Society at the organization’s website here; the awards information is here; its Facebook page is here and its Twitter feed is here
- Read about the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy at the website here; its Facebook page is here; its Instagram page here and its Twitter feed here
- The Daily Mail’s story is here; a Harper’s Bazaar fashion story is here;
Such a cute dress i would love to see kate in something like this in the future.
I’m in the minority but I feel this dress wears her. I’m also giving her major side-eye for the heavy unblended bronzer she’s taken to wearing lately.
To the author. Meghan did have a handbag. A small black clutch that she handed off to her assistant when she went up to make her speech. What a fun dress. And I love those black shoes with the bows.
Thank you, Trisha! 🙂
WOWZA!!!
My favorite dress so far! So feminine and glamorous! I am so happy to see Oscar de la Renta represented at this event, LOVE this!
It’s the Birks Bee Chic ring… what is great fun when you think about it: the birds and the bees? And now she’s pregnant! Too cute.
Guess I’m in the minority here, but I don’t like this dress at all. The silhouette is beautiful, but the bird design looks gimmicky and childish to me and combining it with tulle doesn’t help at all.
Meghan looks so happy and relaxed in these latest photos – what an asset she is proving to be to the BRF.
it’s a beautiful dress….for a prom. She is overdressed. I think something with the same lines and styling would have been nice, but the pouffy ness of the dress and the pattern makes it too much for this occasion. A solid colour may have been a better choice.
Gorgeous dress probably my favorite look of the tour. It would have hit all the marks if she added just a pair of diamond drop earrings and a diamond bracelet.
I think Meghan looked stunning, loved the entire look. One of her best dresses ever. However seeing many of the men in suits & ties, I’m thinking she’s a bit overdressed. This is more of a black tie or red carpet dress. I read that Meghan has a more American approach to fashion rather than a royal approach, which is what she needs to have. The senior royal women put a lot of thought into these tours, picking local designers, picking colors, patterns, etc of the places they are visiting. Meghan really needs a royal stylist, not her friend, who can guide her through this process.
I’ve had this thought as well. I know Meghan is new to the family and likely trying out new looks but she’d better suited to have a stylist who is experienced with dressing Royals. I’m a big fan of Harry’s Aunt Sophie, Countess of Wessex and have thought it would be good for Meghan to spend some time with her. I think she could learn quite a bit about Royal fashion from her too.
It’s an absolutely gorgeous look and I have been waiting for her to pull out a show stopper! She looks Hollywood glam.
My only worry is that she might be a tad overdressed for the event. This gown would be perfect for a Hollywood awards show, but for this event? I don’t know. I might feel better about it if Harry wore something more remarkable than a blue suit. I like him better in his James Bond look, wearing black tie when he’s side by side with his glamorous wife.
Wow! Gorgeous dress and Meghan looks stunning in it. Pity about the torn hem and the weirdness going on with the under skirt. Maybe she was just so very keen to wear it (and who wouldn’t be?!) that she didn’t wait for the black tie event at which it might have really shone. Imagine it against Harry’s DJ rather than his blue suit and suede shoes. I hope we see it again with some serious bling, too
What a showstopper! The styling is spot on, wow factor without trying too hard. Loved the nod to the theme by incorporating the bird/nature design in the dress. My goodness, her feet must be killing by now, every day pregnant in those beautiful beautiful heels…
the dress was stunning oscar de la renter does lovely evening wear – one of the best dresses i have
seen her wear
lh
The Duchess looks beautiful. Her hair is so shiny and healthy looking. Just love the nail polish she wears, subtle but feminine. She has beautiful posture a very straight back. I noticed that about her before.
Gorgeous dress! Simply breathtaking and ethereal. I love how the dress looks as light as air and the skirt just seems to float around her like a cloud of tulle. The heels are perfect with this, and her sleek Veronica Lake-hairstyle is lovely. My only quibble is that this ensemble doesn’t seem quite right for this event. It seems this would have worked better for a royal outing to the theatre, or for a very fancy cocktail party. Not quite right for a conservation awards banquet, a bit too much I think. But the look is so lovely, how can I complain?
LAURIE –
The event banner over Harry’s head (in Emily Nash’s vid above) reads “The 2018 Australian Geographic Gala Awards” so for a Gala Awards evening Meghan’s tea length dress would be fitting. Unfortunately, a lot of the photos we’re looking at have Amy Pickerill or other staffers behind or next to Meghan which doesn’t give a true representation of the guest’s attire. Elsewhere, online, are photos and video of women guests dressed up, in full length evening dresses and off the shoulder cocktail dresses.
This dress is stunning and sits so well on Meghan’s frame. I’m not usually a fan of fussy tulle skirts but the flock of birds on this are just beautiful. I’d almost swear she chose this dress to go with one of her favourite pairs of shoes.
While Meghan looked really beautiful in this uniquely lovely dress, she seemed especially tentative and unsure. This is more visible in the photos and videos I saw on other sites. It made me wonder if she felt overdressed. Most of the people appeared to be much less formal than Meghan. It kind of felt like the Meghan show, and I wondered if she felt uncomfortable with that. I think this dress, both due to its style and price tag, may have been better suited to a different event. It struck me as a great Emmy dress, but felt a little too precious and over the top for this event and her role.
I agree. You’d expect Harry to be in a tux with Meghan wearing this dress. I’m sure she realizes she’s overdressed.
Someone mentioned on another site this is a dress that Sara Jessica Parker would wear because it is very reminiscent of a ballet costume and now I can’t unsee it. SJP loves her tulle! It is a very pretty dress on Meghan though I do think another commenter was correct, looks like the tulle isn’t pulled down all the way?
My one wish is that she lay off the bronzer. She isn’t blending correctly or putting WAY too much on. I wish she would stick to her wedding makeup–she looked so natural and fresh that day!
Unfortunately the flash bulbs going off on the cameras are causing her makeup to look a little extra heavy as well. – SC
In a picture on another site, it looks like the tulle folds as she walks and the appearance of bunching might just be the fact that it’s double-layered at that point (https://www.today.com/style/former-meghan-markles-wears-oscar-de-la-renta-bird-dress-t140738 – the picture looks like it’s within a few seconds of the one snapped here).
Oh my gosh, I spoke way too soon when I called another dress my favorite of the tour – how could I have known THIS was coming!? She looks AMAZING! This dress is stunning!!! Absolutely wonderful.
This is giving me major “Hunger Games” vibes, which isn’t a bad thing. Unexpected, yes. Pretty, definitely.
Does anyone know what Sophia’s dress is?
I’m sure Meghan may have had to consider giving up this dress for the tour once her waistline exploded (how I remember the week with first kid I went from a bit of a pouch to “where the heck is my waistline?) but thought, “No way! This is my Princess Dress!” And she is right!
Reminiscent of the dress Grace Kelly wore in the opening scene of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. Yards of semi sheer tulle that stops just above the ankle. I love the shot of her leaning slightly forward with her leg pointing outward. I think the hair keeps the look light and the minimal accessories keeps the dress centerstage. The entire look is somewhat ethereal and I love it!
@Jackie,
OMG, my thought exactly! Grace Kelly in Hitchcock!
I can see that. But the dress reminded me of Tippi Hedran being chased by birds in Hitchcock’s “The Birds.”
Love the sleek and modern of the other evening dresses but this is so fabulous and fun and different. I love the whimsy of the birds.
I’m curious to know how many of these outfits she will wear again. Some are so gorgeous it seems a shame to put them away for good. Relatedly, I suppose a benefit of a big tour so soon after joining the Royal Family is you build up a significant wardrobe. I can’t wait to see them all laid out after the tour – it will be interesting to see the style components (eg silhouette) that are repeated.
I’m sorry to say this dress has a lot of potential but fell short. The skirt gives an appearance of a greyish tulle, which is pretty with the flock of birds in black, but the bodice and undergarment seem more cream/flesh colored, and there are parts of the skirt that apoear that color too – a short slip underneath? Legs peeking through? Not sure, but it’s messing with the consistency of the color for me. The layers of tulle at the hemline are crumpled up in places, taking away from the ethereal look, but the real damage to the hemline is literal – it is torn, and the unsightly piece of wounded tulle hanging below the hemline is so unfortunate. Hopefully she can have it repaired when she gets home, as this deserves a second outing that shows the dress and wearer off at their best.
It says a lot for Meghan that she can smile through it all, despite the dress issues, tiredness, and busy days. I like that about her – honestly, she’s better than Harry at this aspect of the job. There are times when he’s looked decidedly…un-smiley, but she’s right by his side with a smile regardless. Good job!
Love tulle and the black bird motif adds definition and originality to this light and airy dress. The technique used on the black embellishments is not only beautiful but adds texture and almost a 3D effect. The transparent tulle hemline allows for a delicate and gradual ending to this otherworld creation.
Just saying, Chris Jackson has some awesome royal tour/fashion photos on his Instagram and Twitter accounts.
Noticed the neon green armbands worn by the Young Conservationist and Young Adventurer and thought they might have kept them on after attending a concert or such only to see them on the arms of other Society members attending the Awards. I’m sure Sophia and Jade will keep theirs on for awhile. Congratulations!
See Amy Pickerill peeking around the corner. Her mini dress looks like it might be something she may have worn under her plaid coat seen in Edinburgh, February 2018.
This could well be the most memorable dress of the tour…although we really don’t know what is yet to come. It is SO Oscar de la Renta with all his signature features being shown. Meghan looks lovely…more girly and more a princess than she usually displays. We have commented on her clothing being too tight or too baggy, but this dress seems to be a perfect fit. The shoes further enhance the look and I think this is their very best use so far.
This is an amazing event and how nice for Harry to be with Eric Phillips once again.
Yes!!!! A showstopper of a dress! I absolutely love it!
Absolutely perfection! Elegance! Mesmerized! Love it too!
Ooh, this is a pretty dress! I don’t think some of these photos show it at its best moment (like when she is beginning to bend to Sophia Skarparis) but it looks stunning in the video and in some pictures elsewhere. The print is fun for a conservation event.
I do wish Harry was in a black (or other non-navy) suit given her dress.
Love this dress so pretty. The design and cut are amazing. You would feel like a princess in it. And I know I would probably be twirling around the hotel room.Fit is great and very appropriate for the event. But did it look like the under skirt was not pulled down properly in the front on her right hand side. Seems uneven on the undershirt. But still love the dress. I think her hair being up would have been nice to make it more special occasion.
I also love this dress. In pictures on other sites it is obvious the underskirt was not pulled down. I feel it detracts from the dress slightly. Her assistants have done a poor job lately, not noticing the underskirt and tag on the dress the other day. The other thing I noticed is she doesn’t have hose on. With this beautiful dress I think it was warranted. These are very minor. She looks like a princess. My new favorite look
I thought there was a problem with the underskirt at first, but on model and in other views it looks like it’s an asymmetrical underskirt.
Probably the dress of the tour, simply breathtaking, combining girlie princess and sophisticated elegance in a single stroke of genius. The flock of birds across a dress is a well worn design feature, but in the hands of the Oscar de la Renta team it has really taken flight to somewhere special. Masterly how the concentration of dark colour round her middle minimises a growing waistline while the eye is led away to pick out fascinating birds above and below.
Black on soft pink is so classy and rescues an otherwise potentially fussy tulle skirt from the merely pretty to premier chic. The bow-back slingbacks were simply made for this dress. Meghan’s hair is fabulous – how come after hours of air travel?! She is radiant and simply ravishing.
What a lovely dress and a lovely overall look! I think Oscar de la Renta makes beautiful party dresses.
YAS! Glam and girlie but still in her wheelhouse to some extent. Loving this look!
This is a lot of look! I do like it, but I must say it seems more Hollywood red carpet than BRF. Illusion netting and all. The bird print and the layers of tulle are a lot of fun, and the Deneuve heels are absolutely perfect with it.
I feel that this must be a look that was picked out before she was pregnant; it’s so clearly a look that calls for a tiny waist. Obviously I am not criticizing the size of her waist–there is a child in there! Just observing that her other evening looks were much better chosen for a pregnant figure.
I love those heels too, but I have to say that they are just too big. Avoiding blisters or not, by now those shoes are well past the blister-prone stage, and her feet are so much smaller than the shoes. I feel for her trying to navigate the uncarpeted floors in those. 🙁
Wow! What a show-stopper. Meghan looks absolutely amazing. The dress looks far better on her than it does on the model, and she’s pregnant. If a dress were to perfectly embody both “adventure and conservation,” this is certainly it with the playful design and bird motif. I can’t think of many people who can pull this look off gracefully, but Meghan sure does. 10/10!
Thought this was a home-run – the bird motif is a nice nod to the event and the fit is perfect for her body. Not too tight or loose. Sexy without being overtly revealing. Her normal color combo without being boring. Her hair was perfect, not forever distracting her with pushing strands back. I think she really nailed this one. Love it!
Most beautiful thing I’ve seen her wear!
Agreed!