Meghan wore a mix of brands for today’s engagements in Morocco.
The Duke and Duchess took a helicopter to the Atlas Mountains for the appointments. ITV posted a video of the couple being greeted as they arrived in the town Asni.
Harry and Meghan are greeted in Morocco’s high Atlas Mountain region by flag waving students who are receiving an education thanks to the efforts of a British entrepreneur https://t.co/z7WNN0q9bx pic.twitter.com/D6jZjOexfX
— ITV News (@itvnews) February 24, 2019
Her you see Meghan and Harry chatting with the two little girls in the video. The Mirror reports: “Sisters Rainia, 5 and Rayhana Minejem, 2, who are half Moroccan and half British, were over the moon to meet Prince Harry and Meghan.”
The Duke and Duchess were in the Atlas Mountains for a number of education-related engagements.
The first was at an Education for All boarding house.
The organization provides housing for girls ages 11-18 to ensure they have access to secondary education.
More from The Standard’s story:
Inside, the royal couple toured the classrooms where most of the girls were fluent only in French. This didn’t present a problem for the Duchess, who happily conversed with them.
She asked, in French: “Ce que tu veux être quand tu quittes l’école? (What do you want to do when you leave school)”
She also asked: “Vous voulez aller à l’université, (Do you want to go to university)” and was very impressed when the girls told her they wanted to be “teachers, engineers and doctors, big dreams.”
The Duchess and a student in a photo posted by Robert Jobson.
Kensington Palace reports that “70% of women & girls in Morocco are illiterate. Many have limited access to secondary school or no means of affording transport to school.”
In this video you see Meghan speaking with two of the students.
#RoyalVisitMorocco#HarryandMeghan
Dans l’une des chambres du pensionnat #DarAsni, #MeghanMarkle partage un moment avec 2 des 52 jeunes filles qu’accueille le centre.#morocco #Meghan@EFAMorocco @TSAReilly pic.twitter.com/IiFwzbUJqI— 2M.ma (@2MInteractive) February 24, 2019
Education for All was started with one boarding house and eight girls, but now offers five housing units with nearly 200 girls. A sixth boarding house is being built this year.
There was also a Henna Ceremony and the Duchess was given a tattoo to mark her seven months of pregnancy. You can see a closeup of the design in the lower left of this photo.
More from The Mirror’s coverage:
Samira,17, is Meghan Markle’s henna artist and lives at the boarding house in Asni. She has lived there for six years and painted the flower on Meghan’s right hand and forearm to mark her pregnancy which is considered a blessing.
Russell Myers posted a photo of Samira.
More on the ceremony:
The henna is tradition in Morocco during the seventh month of pregnancy to celebrate the health of mother and baby.
The Duke and Duchess.
A group photo.
The couple then walked to the nearby Lycée Qualifiant Grand Atlas.
It is another secondary school, located very close to the Education for All boarding house they just visited. This is where the girls from the boarding house do their studies.
They met students and watched a football game.
This gives you an idea of the elevation where the day’s activities took place, it is about 4000 feet.
The duo looked like they were very much enjoying themselves.
And a group photo.
Emily Nash shared a video of Meghan and Harry as they arrived for their third engagement today, an investiture.
The Duke and Duchess arrive on foot for their third engagement of the day at the original @EFAMorocco boarding House, where Harry will invest founder Michael McHugh with the MBE for services to gender equality in education: pic.twitter.com/xxUR6T2WUk
— Emily Nash (@emynash) February 24, 2019
For the investiture ceremony the Duchess changed into a white blouse and a pair of slingbacks, seen below in a photo tweeted by ITV‘s Chris Ship. Prince Harry also changed, donning a jacket and tie.
The ceremony took place at the very first Education for All Boarding house, a fitting location, as the individual being honored is Michael McHugo, the founder of EFA.
Mr. McHugo was honored with the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in recognition of his work improving gender equality in education in Morocco.
From Harry’s remarks: “It is with great pleasure that on Her Majesty’s behalf, I present you with the badge of honour. May I congratulate you on all the work you have done to improve gender equality.”
The Duchess meeting some of the Education for All housemothers after the investiture.
Education for All tweeted their delight about the visit and the royals. This is the video referenced in the tweet, taken after the investiture.
After the investiture, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex speak to some of the girls who live in @EFAMorocco’s Boarding Houses, and are working towards exams. #RoyalVisitMorocco. pic.twitter.com/IbXVtEvZwL
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) February 24, 2019
Education for All also posted this “thank you” graphic. Then it was time to head back to Rabat. Rebecca English shared a video of the helicopter as it departed.
Harry and Meghan head back to #Rabat #RoyalVisitMorocco pic.twitter.com/Caba6B0xaf
— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) February 24, 2019
Now for a look at what Meghan wore for today’s early engagements.
Her jacket is the Alice and Olivia Simpson style ($485). The collarless style piece is done in a polyester/viscose blend, and it features front welt pockets and distinctive striped cuffs. It is available in all sizes at Orchard Mile. Many thanks to Elizabeth of Meghan’s Fashion for this ID.
Meghan’s top is from Aritzia, the Babaton Roland Blouse ($128). The unstructured piece is 100% cupro (a type of rayon), described as “Japanese crêpe de chine, a matte fabric with a subtle crinkle texture.” It is fairly sheer; in the photo of Meghan I think you can see a camisole beneath the top. It features a very relaxed, oversized fit with dropped shoulders, a front placket with concealed buttons, banded collar, deep side vents and long back hem. Many thanks to Heaven and the UFO No More team for this ID.
Meghan’s shoes appear to be the Manolo Blahnik Carolyne 70 (£575).
The style comes in a variety of colors and fabrics. This is the black satin with velvet polka dots version. It is a basic slingback style with an elasticized strap, point toe and heel that is just under 3″. As soon as we figure out the blouse we will update the post.
The Duchess wore another item from Canadian favorite Aritizia, her scarf.
It’s the Diamond-Shaped Triangle style ($68) by Wilfred, Aritizia’s house brand. Made of 100% Australian wool, the scarf is 53″ x 86″. Our thanks to Data Duchess for the scarf ID.
Meghan had on her go-to Birdies Starling Slippers ($120). The shoes are velvet and have a memory foam cushion for comfort. Meghan’s are the Blackbird style which has now been replaced by the Starling.
It looks like Meghan wore a new pair of sunglasses, the Illesteva York style ($240) in tortoise.And she wore Boh Runga earrings that were a gift from New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
Our WMW fashion recap from the WMW Instagram page:
We will see you in a few hours for tonight’s formal reception at the British Ambassador’s home. Guests at the function will include influential Moroccan women, disabled athletes and young entrepreneurs.
VIDEOS:
It looks like this Royal Family Channel video covers just the events at the boarding house.
LINKAGE:
- Learn more about Education for All on the charity’s website; the organization’s Twitter feed is here
- The Daily Mail’s coverage is here; The Mirror’s rolling live coverage is here; The Standard’s story is here; The Telegraph’s story by Hannah Furness is here; Hello‘s rolling live coverage is here
- A People story is here; The Telegraph’s photo gallery is here; a PopSugar gallery is here
Jessica says
I’m not sure I understand the costume change here, but both outfits are great. I have a white top just like that and I wear it all summer. I adore the polka-dot slingbacks, though I think the velvet loafers actually work better with the pants.
Brandi says
I like the white blouse version of todays outfit, its a very smart, chic look. The flats look comfortable ? Meghan does casual looks so well, they never look sloppy. And its the return of the ‘carrot’ earrings!
Sarah Ashley says
Loved the first look of the day, with the black tee and Birdies. The switch into the blouse and slingbacks underwhelmed me, but probably because I liked the first combo so much more. I love A + O, so it’s fun to see the duchess in the brand. Those tortise sunglasses are fantastic!
Christina O. says
I had to smile to see Meghan bring a new incarnation of navy paired with black to Morocco! I loved her J Crew navy coat and Alexander Wang black trousers worn in Birmingham last spring and then the navy Oscar de la Renta peplum blouse paired with black pants to Leicestershire in the fall.
The color combination of navy and black and styling of today’s outfit is great for interacting with students, athletes and helicopters! The heels and Babarton Roland blouse was a smart and easy change for a dressier look.
Bonnie says
For me, I loved the rustic scarf worn with this outfit. It added a dimension of styling and linked with the contrasting, turn back cuffs of the jacket. So I was disappointed when Meghan removed it. Perhaps being 100% wool it turned out to be too warm to keep on. I much preferred the white flowing blouse over the rather tight black top. I didn’t care for either pair of shoes for these events. While flats were an excellent choice, these ones are called slippers and that is how they appeared. Then the polka dot, sling backs looked too fancy with the rest of the outfit. I would have suggested a dressy flat, that could have served both occasions.
Kudos to Meghan for her thoughtful dialogue with the girls, especially being able to converse with some in French.
Rachael Sutcliffe says
Love love love the blue blazer, particularly against the black. Are my eyes deceiving me? I wonder if Baby Sussex has dropped a bit? I am so happy that she is so obviously well and glowing in her third trimester. She looks fantastic.
Louise says
I guess this outfit is…serviceable?
I can’t help it. I want to see the duchess stand out in a crowd and while there’s nothing wrong with this outfit, it’s definitely forgettable. I mean, these girls get to meet royalty for probably the only time in their lives and she shows up in an outfit anyone could wear. She’s always beautiful and sweet, but it’s okay to look the part of a royal.
Amanda says
Very nice casual wear, love the Manolos she changed into for the investiture ceremony.
I know some people were wondering about wearing head covering in Morocco. It is not required to wear one. Every time I’ve gone I didn’t wear one, you will find other women without it and some with it – it depends on your religion, ethnic background and I never had any issues. It is advised however to cover shoulders and knees. Also, holding hands for husband and wife is perfectly fine. Marriage is highly regarded in this country and Moroccans are very warm and not afraid to show feelings. In addition, henna is completely safe for pregnancy, there is westernised version that is black henna and that is very harmful and it is banned in many areas. These henna ceremonies are a beautiful way to have mother nature’s blessing for baby since henna is dried up leaves mixed with water and lemon juice.
LadyLeah says
I loved both of these modern and sleek looks. Very much in line with her streamlined aesthetic as well as similar to silhouettes worn by the women in Morocco. A+ on both shoe options here! Comfy flats and possibly my favorite pair of black pumps she’s worn. (and I do love her shoe game)
Fliss says
A nice enough look apart from the rolled up sleeves – channelling the look of an 80s pop group isn’t a great idea IMO. In fact, I’m afraid I can’t get past the thought of George Michael to comment further.
vanessa says
They are not rolled up. That is the length of the sleeve with the end being white and striped
Mary B. says
Rolled up George Michael’s , pushed up Miami Vice love both still do the looks 🙂
Caroline says
I think that the jacket with the turned back sleeves was deliberately chosen in order to show off the henna design, and to make it easier for the artist to apply it.
MuchLove says
So glad to see both Harry and Meghan supporting such important issues. Meghan looks happy, comfortable, and relaxed–all that I wish for any woman this late in a pregnancy.
Evie says
I always think Meghan looks best dressed down. This look is smart, elegant and flatters her proportions. I’m so tempted to buy that blazer for myself!
The only thing I didn’t like is her scarf – isn’t it a little hot for a neck scarf in Morocco? Or, at least, for one that looks rather thick. A lighter silk scarf might’ve looked better.
Tessa says
I almost thought she had it in case it felt right to cover her head at some point … like she wasn’t sure what the vibe at the boarding house would be and she brought it just in case it felt wrong to be the only woman with exposed hair. Then when she figured out she was fine as she was she ditched the scarf.
Ülkü says
It was probably cooler in the early hours, since they were in the mountains.
Kiara says
She looked great – relaxed and comfortable. I especially love the look of the flats with the skinny jeans and sweater. This shoe looked so much more modern than her typical sky-high heels. I know she probably only wore them because she was walking on a gravel road, but I wish she’d wear them more often. The sling backs were also lovely and more flattering than her usual 4” plus heel height. With her new throw back trapeze style looks I’d love to see her in a kitten heel!
ElizaMo says
It’s wonderful to see the royal couple relax once they’re out in the mountains, their smiles seem to get wider by the minute. I love Meghan’s outfit, simple, chic, and practical. The jacket is a winner, collarless is so sleek and the length is great for a cover-up and perfect with jeans. I love the turn-up cuffs in a shirt style fabric, they give variety without undue frivolity so Meghan retains her businesslike edge. I’m also a fan of the quiet contrast of the blue jacket on a black ensemble, these are canny neutrals to play with.
Fun to see Meghan in comfy flats, even if only for a while, before she slipped into those snazzy slingbacks with their terrific polka-dot pattern. I love the whole outfit switch-up with the pretty white blouse and its neat Nehru collar, in keeping with the sleek jacket neckline.
Her hair looks great worn loose for low-key engagements and it’s just so sweet she brought out her Boh Runga earrings from NZ. It was also a clever touch to add a touch of contrast pattern via the tortoiseshell rims of her sunnies. An all-round win for me.
Dulcenena14 says
Boring.