The Duchess wore Emilia Wickstead for today’s Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey.
This is the third Commonwealth Service Harry and Meghan attended.
The video clip below shows the couple arriving today.
Prince Harry and Meghan arrive at Westminster Abbey in London for the Commonwealth Service.
It will be the last official appearance of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as senior royals.#PrinceHarry #MeghanMarkle #Royals pic.twitter.com/FeA6nqDOnD
— The Royal Family Channel (@RoyalFamilyITNP) March 9, 2020
Below, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo perform outside the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey ahead of today’s services.
Members of the Royal Family arrived ahead of the services. Below, the Earl and Countess of Wessex arrive.
Prince Charles chats with the Dean of Westminster, David Hoyle and The Duchess of Cornwall follows behind.
Her Majesty is the last to arrive.
For 2020, the Commonwealth theme, ‘Delivering a Common Future’, will act as the focus for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), for Commonwealth Day, and for the work of the Commonwealth more generally.
The theme was chosen because the governments and people of our diverse family of 54 Commonwealth countries connect at many levels through extensive and deep-rooted networks of friendship and goodwill.
The National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies created beautiful floral arrangements which were placed throughout the abbey for the services. The arrangements include various flowers from around the commonwealth.
Below, The State Trumpeters of the Household Calvary and the Fanfare Team from the
Grenadier Guard Band play the fanfare as The Queen arrives.
Her Majesty enters Westminster Abbey.
A chorus of ‘God Save The Queen’ bellows out in Westminster Abbey as Her Majesty arrives #CommonwealthDay pic.twitter.com/ZQcBVf7Tfk
— Royal Central (@RoyalCentral) March 9, 2020
British singer and 2008 X Factor winner, Alexandra Burke, performed the song Ain’t No Mountain for today’s service.
British heavyweight champion boxer Anthony Joshua gave a Reflection.
“I am proudly British and Nigerian and I join a long line – perhaps too long to count – of UK citizens of Commonwealth origin who’ve made enormous contributions to this great, multi-cultural society of ours.” — Anthony Joshua
Singer Craig David performed his 2006 chart topping hit song, Unbelievable.
Spice Girl’s singer Geri Halliwell and her daughter, Bluebell, were also in attendance for today’s service.
Following the service, the Queen and members of the Royal Family chat with members of the Commonwealth.
Her Majesty seems to be having a delightful chat with Anthony Joshua.
Meghan also has a chance to chat with Anthony Joshua.
Another view.
Outside, children wait with flowers for each of the royal women including Her Majesty. (This is probably one of my favorite parts of any engagement as it just warms my heart!)
The Queen looked beautiful in her blue coat and hat. Her posey compliments her outfit so nicely you would think it was planned!
The Duchess of Cambridge speaks with one of the little girls patiently waiting to greet them.
It’s Meghan’s turn to receive her posey and chat with the young ladies.
A very sweet moment.
Harry and Meghan say hello to the children’s choir as they depart.
Today’s event marks the the couple’s final engagement before stepping back as Senior Royals.
More photos accompany a lovely message from the Sussex Royal Instagram account.
A look at what the Duchess wore for today’s event.
Meghan wore a bespoke Emilia Wickstead dress and cape in an beautiful shade of emerald green.
The dress is similar in silhoette to this style from Ms. Wickstead’s collection, the Trista wool midi dress.
The cape inspiration may have come from this Fall 2019 collection piece, Harley cape-effect wool-gabardine jumpsuit. The fabric of the jumpsuit is a wool-gabardine and appears to be a closer match to the type of fabric that was used for Meghan’s ensemble.
Meghan’s shoes are from Aquazzura. They are the ‘Purist’ pump 105 in nude nappa leather, $695.
If looking for a less expensive alternative, M. Gemi makes a fabulous #MatchMegStyle. The brand’s Esatto 105 pump in natural leather, $278.
The brand also offers a slightly lower heel in a blush suede color, The Esatto 90, marked down, $175.
She carried her Gabriela Hearst Demi satin tote in emerald satin, $1,995.
Meghan’s hat is a bespoke piece by milliner William Chambers. It appears to be a version of the Veiled Teardrop Explosion from the Spring Summer 2020 collection.
The Duchess wore her Birks Snowstorm diamond earrings from the Snowflake collection. These are a pair we’ve seen her wear a number of times previously.
We expect to hear more news over the coming weeks of Harry and Meghan’s upcoming plans and changes to their Instagram account. Of course, all the details will be shared here on What Meghan Wore!
For all the details on the Duchess of Cambridge’s Catherine Walker outfit today, please visit our sister site, What Kate Wore.
If interested in more information regarding Sophie Wessex’s outfit – she wore a white long-sleeved midi dress from British brand Suzannah featuring a black skirt detail. Sophie first wore the dress for Royal Ascot in 2019.
LINKAGE:
- Read about the Commonwealth on the official Royal Family website here
- A copy of today’s Commonwealth Service programme can be found here
- Visit The Commonwealth website here, the organization’s Facebook page is here and its Twitter feed is here
- Learn more about the Royal Commonwealth Society on the group’s website here, or its Facebook page here, you may also follow the Society’s Twitter feed here
Rebecca says
I always love the “idea” of Meghan’s outfits, but far too often the execution has been sloppy. This emerald ensemble could have been gorgeous if it had been tailored properly.
To be frank, poorly fitting, wrinkly clothes and visible undergarments are really not acceptable for a person of her stature in such a visible role. Megan needs a stylist to help her get the execution right and check her over before events. I don’t understand why she has been unwilling to adapt and accept professional help in this regard. She is a stunning woman and deserves stunning fashion looks.
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Alys says
Agreed. She needs better undergarments because the strapless bra lines visible beneath are an absolute no no. Amateur hour here.
I saw (not just on Meg) but Sophie and other dresses that had some questionable seams, with doubled fabric causing colour contrasts. Thicker fabric, especially with white, is a must. If your outfit is whiskering and puckering everywhere consider a different outfit.
Charles’ jacket was awful and weirdly rippled. I dont know what was happening but the Queen was the only one well dressed and it was a coat dress.
Larissa says
This is such a stunning colour and silhouette that I can ignore the imperfect tailoring of the dress. The cape is a great addition that really elevates the whole look – it surprised me that the designer was Emilia Wickstead as I always thought of her pieces as quite timeless and reserved (based on what Kate has worn I suppose!), but the cape is bold and I like that. Meghan’s confidence with hats has developed so much over these few short years, it’s a shame that she will no longer be wearing them regularly! And I love, love, love that bag so much, I am thrilled we got a reappearance on this last official engagement. It’s a beautiful slight contrast to the green of the dress.
And thanks to the commenter who pointed out the colour of Harry’s suit lining and how it matches Meghan’s outfit… what a strange touch 😛 But they seem to be quite a sentimental couple so it’s sweet that they are so in sync without being blatantly obvious about it.
Shannon says
Love the hat the chic peach shoes and quirky bag but i hate the dress with a passion it looks wrinkled too big and awkward bordering on uncomfortable!
Amelie says
I was so excited for Meghan’s fashion for this “farewell” tour of sorts and she did not disappoint. I have loved almost every single outfit she’s worn. This is such a bold color choice and while i have no doubt Meghan will return to her staple of neutrals it was nice to see her in color for a change and she looks lovely in this shade of green. The dramatic hat and cape make for such a fabulous and fun outfit. I do agree that the tailoring isn’t the best, the first picture I saw I actually thought it might be a top and culotte/trouser separates due to all the bunching and it took me a bit to realize it’s actually a dress with all the bunching in the legs. But it really doesn’t bother me. The picture isn’t here but there was a photo taken of her and Harry entering the church where her cape was blowing in the breeze, pretty iconic. And cute to see Harry’s lining of the suit matching her dress–they really did plan their wardrobe to a tee for this tour. I know things were expected to be tense at this event for obvious reasons but Meghan looked so serene (Harry is not so good at mastering his poker face lol).
Hilary says
Great colour and lots of potential but the fit is so bad I am surprised she wore it. She must have a backup just in case, mustn’t she? Many of her clothes don’t fit properly because she is short-waisted (same problem as I have and opposite to DOC!) but when a dress does not fit, the solid colour makes it even more obvious. EW dresses require I impeccable fit or they look poorly made – and they’re not of course but they look that way unless the fit is perfect. Also some say the dress is too long and I would agree but her calves are stick-thin so I think maybe the length is actually okay. A big miss overall. IMHO.
Catherine says
Love the colour and the concept of the outfit, but not sure it works 100%. The material seems to crease badly giving the effect of not fitting properly. I would have the shoes and bag both in beige or in the dark green, but that is a personal preference.
Sally says
What a stunning look, the colour is gorgeous and the cut and tailoring of the outfit is superb. I love the photos of the wind blowing with the elegance of the fabric fluttering. Can’t believe that some writers think the dress is too small and tight, it fits perfectly and skims the body just right, any larger and it would look sloppy and untailored. There is absolutely no where that I can see the garment is puckered or strained and I have looked at the photos several times. The hat is divine and I am sure that many race meetings over the northern and southern hemisphere will see similiar hats feature in the finals of fashions on the field. A perfect outfit in my mind.
Jo says
The DOS has ill-fitting foundation garments that show through her clothes, and it’s something that I just can’t get past. The visible outlines of her bra/foundation garment in this dress remind me of the same issue with the greige (I borrowed this color-descriptor from another commenter) Roland Mouret dress that she wore on the trip to Dublin in 2018. With both dresses, it looks like she is wearing a strapless bra that doesn’t provide enough coverage and is too small. Contrast the foundation garment worn by the Countess of Essex and there is just no comparison.
Jo says
I just realized that that I have a typo…I meant the Countess of Wessex. Sorry!
Hilary says
I completely agree with your comments. I recently watched “Bombshell” (while we’re all home during this attempt at virus containment) and in one scene, they show all the on-air women personalities getting dressed with their industrial strength undergarments so that their clothes fit smoothly. One of the points of the movie was that this should not be necessary, but of course, if you want to do your clothes justice, you really do have to wear properly fitting undergarments!
Ava says
You are spot on! We should not be able to see her undergarments. I wish she would take some lessons from Kate!
Ava Pittman says
Beautiful outfit. Luscious emerald green. Love the caped effect, combined with the hat a very elegant look. The nude shoes work in well, but the bag is simply gorgeous.
Barbara says
I find it interesting that she wore bright colors for these last events – turquoise, scarlet red, emerald green – because she usually wears neutrals like black, navy ( a LOT of black or navy!), cream, camel or greige. I’ve often wished she wore color more often, because when she does (the bright blue evening gown in Fiji, the burgundy sweater and skirt combo last fall) she looks amazing. Her choice of vivid colors this time around is obviously meant to make a statement.
WhatMeghanWore says
Barbara, as others have pointed out, Meghan wore the colors of England, Scotland and Wales. I also think it was a nod to some of the Commonwealth colors. – Susan C.
NickyT says
A couple of comments…
The color is beautiful, though not one I personally have chosen for her.
The fit is lacking, as others have said.
I think the dress design is gorgeous, but the outfit as a whole is to fussy even though it’s a sleek silhouette. It’s seems the scarf overwhelms her, the length is wrong. She is not as long as the model, so I think a couple of inches of the bottom would have made it less fussy…. Or maybe I mean matronly!
The red dress the other day was a stunner on her!
I do wish she would learn to walk in heels. Her stride is too big. She walks like she is in sneakers. Maybe she is trying to keep up with Harry, or maybe it’s an American thing. I am American. Anyway, I always think she’s about to fall.
Barbara says
She is known to wear her shoes a size too large (to avoid blisters) so that may be why she is having trouble walking in them gracefully.
Maureen says
Green for Ireland.
WhatMeghanWore says
The colors for England Scotland and Wales are indeed blue, red and green. However, I am thinking that Meghan wore colors that represented colors taken from each of the 54 flags in the Commonwealth. I will be doing a recap post later this week and will take a closer look at this. Particularly with the inclusion of Meghan’s Preen dress in the orange-gold color. It’s clear she carefully thought out her wardrobe for this past weekend’s events. Thanks, Susan C.
Laura Fuller says
I have loved the bright, colorful looks on Meghan this weekend.
Tanya says
I like the whole outfit, she really stood out for her final engagement. That said, the fit could have definitely been better, the cape looks a bit choky at times but was a nice touch and the netting on the hat was a bit large, looks like it was getting in Harry’s face at points. But overall, a nice outfit and I thought that the purse went really well with the whole ensemble
Barbara says
I think the Duchess looks beautiful. The ensemble is very dramatic and gives me an early 1930’s vibe. Love the vibrant color but the fabric seems very heavy. Are there any pictures of the back of this? I am trying to figure out how the cape is attached to the dress and stayed in place despite the wind.
WhatMeghanWore says
Hi Barbara, There are photos of the back of Meghan wearing the dress. I haven’t been able to obtain any yet until our one photo agency adjusts our access to the images. I will try to grab one once I am able to. Thanks, Susan C.
Barbara says
Thank you!
Jo says
Meghan has worn all the colours of England, Scotland and Wales on this trip.
WhatMeghanWore says
Hi Jo! I was just looking at the colors she has worn and noticed a trend. At first I thought it was the colors of the Union Jack but this makes more sense. Thank you! – Susan
Bella says
Amazing dress, accessories, hat. Beautiful Meghan. However the dress is one size too small. It is wrinkling and pulling in all the wrong places. Dress is so tight you can see the outline if the bra. I noticed that all her dresses during this visit are not fitting well. Not sure why. But that emerald color is amazing.
Cindy says
Meghan is beautiful and has a great sense of style. This dress is lovely. Why do her clothes not seem to fit her?
Nicki says
Coming from a recent mom of two, it takes some time to adjust to how your body has changed and accept that it has changed post baby. Maybe that is part of the problem.
Catherine says
I have my doubts as we saw ill-fitting clothes on numerous occasions before… part of the problem also seems to be that the materials do not travel well; there are often creases…
Patty from Tucson says
I love this stunning, modern look — the color, the cape, even the very deliberate non-matching shoes and bag. Very edgy and so elegant. I’ll bet Queen Letizia of Spain is checking out Meghan’s fashion sense!
Bebe says
I don’t understand how a bespoke dress could fit so poorly. The look had such great potential, but was marred by the bunching and pulling of the dress.
Melanie says
IKR? So strange for a bespoke dress to have so much fabric folding over at the waist.
Callie says
I think the problem is that Meghan is both petite (and would wear a petite size if she were purchasing OTR) and very short waisted. This mean there is always excess material in the bodice of the dress. The dress waists are too low, causing them to bunch between midriif and hip, and the bustlines are too low, causing that too tight look across the chest. To fit correctly, the dresses and tops need to be lifted from the shoulder, so that the waist of the garment falls at Meghan’s waist — then the bust line of the dress would align better with her bustline and the hip line of the dress would be more in line with her hips. Then, we would see a neater fit. Sometimes, this alteration requires that the the sleeves also be reset and the skirt be adjusted slightly. It is an expensive set of alterations for an OTR purchase, but for a bespoke dress it should not be a challange…although fittings (plural) are often required. This is a BTDT in our family of very short waisted people — we usually end up wearing separates and knit tops…
Melanie says
Callie, thank you for explaining the best way to correct the problem—I would have thought it could be removed from the waist seam (when there is one) but what you said makes perfect sense. Would definitely be a costly adjustment!
I’m shortwaisted too and like you often work around it with separates. In my experience horizontal waist seams, belting and tucking tops draw maximum (negative) attention to shortwaistedness and a blocky torso, so I’m astonished that she so frequently chooses these elements to her outfits.
JJ says
Perfectly described. I’m a short waisted gal myself. I often take a petite dress and jacket. But because I’m 5’6” it’s not an obvious suggestion to inexperienced sales people. (I happily educate them.) Meghan has a beautiful shape and the poor fits distract. However it’s more of a slight on the designer, than on Meg. The minute she opens her mouth to speak I’m in awe. She’s so amazing, I wish I could deliver a speech or improvise public conversations with her mastery. She’s incredible.
LadyLeah says
LOVE!! This green is gorgeous and the entire look from net to toe is old world glamour. I love every element of this, the tilt of the hat, the netting that adds drama without obscuring her face, the swishy scarf/cap and the length of this beautiful dress. Meghan’s poise and sophistication are evident in her fashion choices. What an elegant ensemble this was. Iconic!
(Side note: I have read endless comments on other sites complaining about fit…I just don’t understand the need for clothes to lie like they are on a plastic mannequin. Dresses move, fold, wrinkle and that is because there is a person wearing them. I do not think clothing has to be so perfect at every moment.)
JennB says
I actually think the other ladies dialed it back and did re-wears to allow Meghan to shine on her last event. I would have loved if she did a navy bag and shoes to coordinate with Harry. His suit is lined in emerald green (you can see it as the wind blows his jacket open at the bottom) and he wore a light green tie (which could have been dark green or patterned).
Jessica says
I don’t understand the cape, but I love that the green of her dress appears to be an exact match of the lining of Harry’s blazer (see the second picture). It the photographer hadn’t snapped at that precise moment, we might not have seen it. Perhaps it was their little secret?
Sarah M says
Did anyone else notice Harry’s green silk lining to his suit jacket? In the first picture? So cute! Yesterday she matched him and today he matched her!
I love the drapes items from both of these outfits. The cape and train last night was divine and I can tell I’ll be in the minority but I liked the shawl effect today.
I also like how she didn’t match shoes with bag—more modern.
Super great!
Mary B says
What a lovely look, and what a bittersweet moment.
The green is a beautiful colour on her, and I find the wrap/cape quite intriguing.
Laura says
There are some things I like very much about this look. It is such a good IDEA, but it seems like it didn’t quite work in execution. I think the slim sheath dress is very elegant, and on its own would have been fine. Like many Emilia Wickstead pieces, it needs to be better tailored in the arms, bust and bodice. It bunches and pulled oddly, and just could have been much neater and sleeker.
I think the cape COULD have worked, and it certainly added fun flair and drama to the look. However, it was made of bulky fabric that seemed to stifle Meghan, making her look like she had no neck. The green hat was too match-matchy with all the other green. Maybe a delicate black fascinator?
Altogether, the dress was too much for Meghan’s petite frame, and it overwhelmed her. Too much EVERYTHING for a daytime church ceremony, I think.
Her Birks earrings, makeup, purse, shoes and sleek lovely updo were all spot-on.
Cat says
Everything you say Is what I wanted to say but couldn’t articulate. Agree with all your points including that this look was too much for a daytime church service.
Trudy says
I don’t think that Emilia Wickstead should be blamed for the fit of Meghan’ dress, because Meghan has the same fit problem in many of her clothes, regardless of the designer, and regardless of whether they are OTR or bespoke. She likes her her clothes very tight in the bust, waist and hips, so tight that her bra can be seen and the dresses or skirts pull very tightly in her crotch area. We saw this in each of her recent dress selections and in dress selections pre-dating her wedding. She is choosing this.
I just looked at a selection of Kate’s 50 “best” evening gowns. Wickstead made at least 6 or 7, or more of them. And the fit was perfect on each of them, presumably because that is the look that Kate is choosing for herself.
Ava says
I agree with your comments. Fabric for cape was too heavy and a black hat would have made the look less like a costume. While look was a bit over the top for church. She is gorgeous but tried a bit too hard here.
Ellen says
I thought Meghan looked great this entire trip. I am going to miss seeing her regularly.
But what a way to end – it’s a show stopping outfit. I loved seeing the cape blowing in the wind. The one thing I did not like about the dress was the seam right down the middle – although it depended upon the angle of the photo if it drew my eye or not. I don’t recall her wearing anything similar, so I really enjoyed it.
BTW – I liked Sophie’s dress as well.
Bronwyn says
Absolutely divine
Rachel says
Love the colour. Perfect for Meghan. Do NOT like the cape part at all.
Daisy Poltimore says
Our tastes diverge enough that I’ve frequently grown bored with Meghan’s style in the past (despite trying to drum up enthusiasm because I am a fan of her as a person!), but she has knocked it out of the park on this “farewell tour” and truly goes out with a bang in this last official senior royal engagement for the time being.
This is a fantastic bold color choice and I love it–as long as I don’t look too closely at the tailoring, which could have been neater. Too lazy to look up her earlier Wickstead wears, but I suspect this is a designer issue. But another cape in just a couple days and the overall look with some of her more substantial diamond earrings and a fab hat: perfection.
I also saw pictures on other sites showing that the lining of Harry’s jacket is a similar green and am choosing to see this as a very subtle symbol of solidarity, that they have made this choice together, contrary to the conspiracy theories of the haters.
I don’t doubt we’ll see more of Meg, but I’ll miss her at engagements at this level, and the opportunity of seeing how her formal style might have continued to evolve.
Office Worker says
She wore solid turquoise and looked gorgeous, solid white and looked so fresh, solid red and looked just beautiful, solid green and looked… why do I hate this? I don’t hate green. I’ve always thought that bust darts in particular were just innately tacky, and they’re especially obvious in a solid color fabric. The fit could be better—once more the dress pulls and wrinkles instead of skimming her figure. It seems to be folding over at the waistline. The neckline drape is a nice dramatic touch, so I do like that. But for some reason this is a massive fail for me. Of course Meghan looks beautiful anyway. But please let’s never see this dress again.
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Lisa says
Oh my, where to begin… once again Meghan rocked this look, head to toe perfection. I know that some people will say there were a few wrinkles, pull of dress when she walked, and more, but the colour,hat, bag… not so sure of the shoes, makeup spot on… she’s really pulling out all stops to make her exit exciting and leaving us wanting more. Perhaps we will see them for troupong?
Sophie always looks chic, non competing, but a beautiful “ work horse” for the firm. I actually loved her dress.
Camilla- I loved the colour of her dress, and I thought the hat was great, but no WOW factor… I can only imagine if Diana was alive. Still married, she would have taken the stage!
Finally Kate, *sigh* another coat dress. Didn’t like it, she is best in her sporty/casual looks. Or every once in awhile when she dresses in between looking like a little girl or a matron. I know she will be future queen, but she’s young. Take a few risks Kate!
Laura says
The DoC looked stunning! What a beautiful send off for Sussexes as they start this next chapter. Here’s hoping they find the peace and happiness they seek for their family
P.S. I also thought the Countess of Wessex looked incredibly chic. I think she is going to start giving these younger royals a run for their money when it comes to fashion.
Laura says
I’m sorry! I meant the DoS. Although, the DOC looked beautiful too!
Jessica says
Well, I think that this is just beyond divine. It has never bothered me that she is fond of neutrals, but there’s no denying she can pull off a strong color too. This is gorgeous on her.
I’ve heard people fretting over the fit, but I think it’s pretty much perfect and a very flattering silhouette. I adore the cape effect. She looks happy and beautiful. Love the high-gloss lip.
The other ladies looked terrific too. I commented on WKW about her outfit, but I also want to compliment the Duchesses of Wessex and Cornwall (love the pretzel brooch) and the Queen, whose starburst brooch is spectacular.