The Duchess wore a bespoke Carolina Herrera dress for an audience with Morocco’s monarch this evening.
In the following video (about 60-seconds) you see the couple being greeted by King Mohammed VI, as well as the group formally seated in the residence, and then video of the Duke and Duchess as they are departing.
Le duc et la duchesse de Sussex reçus par Mohamed VI pic.twitter.com/mz1FV1A0Tt #Maroc #Morocco
— RTwittoma ?? (@RTwittoma) February 25, 2019
More from The Daily Mirror’s story:
The King granted an audience to Harry and Meghan in his private home, a 1950s Arabic-style country mansion set in a lush garden of ferns and bamboo trees in the capital Rabat.
The head of state was all smiles in the doorway and Harry and Meghan both complimented his home which featured an ornate internal courtyard behind the monarch, richly decorated with Arabic designs.
The Duke and Duchess presented letters from HM to the King. In this photo you see the King carrying the papers under his arm.
Another view.
In Their Royal Highnesses’ last engagement of #RoyalVisitMorocco, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended an audience with King Mohammed VI of Morocco.
TRH presented The King of Morocco with a letter from The Queen. More on @KensingtonRoyal. pic.twitter.com/px7BJfJ401
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) February 25, 2019
Below, Prince Harry greets the King’s sisters, Princess Lalla Hasna and Princess Lalla Meryem. On the far right, the King’s brother, Prince Moulay Rachid.
From left to right: Crown Prince Moulay Hassan; the Duchess; King Mohammed VI; the Duke; the King’s brother, Prince Moulay Rachid; Princess Lalla Meryem, the King’s sister; Princess Lalla Hasna, another of the King’s sisters.
The Duke and Duchess as they leave the royal residence, as Harry shakes hands with the Crown Prince, heir to Morocco’s throne.
Meghan and Harry met the Prince Saturday night when he welcomed them to the residence where they would be staying as guests of King Mohammed.
Now our look at what Meghan wore for the couple’s final public engagement in Morocco.
Meghan was in a bespoke version of a Carolina Herrera design from the label’s a/w 2019 collection. It is a runway piece, officially ‘Look 24’ in the show, and called the Floral Printed Silk Chiffon Short Sleeve Gown.
The dress is shown at Moda Operandi ($2990). It has an elasticized waist, perhaps something that appealed to Meghan, thinking of comfort. There were multiple modifications made to the runway dress, including the sleeves. The Duchess had an additional layer added to her sleeves, and they also look like they are fuller than those on the runway frock.
You can see the sleeves are also lined. I believe Meghan’s entire dress was completely lined, as opposed to only some portions as shown on the runway dress.
Although we did not see the back of Meghan’s dress, I am betting she did not have the keyhole opening seen below right. In these images, you can also see the size of the print.
The waist on Meghan’s dress was moved and changed from an elasticized band to a single seam.
One impact of moving the waist is that it moved the print placement as well. There were several comments on Facebook suggesting an empire waistline might have offered a better fit. This shade of blue is beautiful on Meghan. I think we will see this piece re-engineered at some point after Baby Sussex arrives.
Carolina Herrera tweeted about Meghan wearing their ‘lavender and sapphire chiffon dress.’UPDATE TUESDAY FEB 26: It turns out Meghan did not have that many changes made to the dress at all. She was in another runway style altogether.
It looks like the primary change was the neckline, with the Duchess opting for the style seen in the blue dress. Otherwise, the majority of Meghan’s dress is much the same.
A big “thank you” to the UFO No More crew, especially to Sarah for letting us know about the green dress!
The Duchess carried the Dior clutch first noted at last night’s reception at the British Ambassador’s residence.
Meghan wore pumps for this evening’s audience.
It looks like she was in the same pumps worn when arriving Saturday night.
Her hair was back, and she wore her ‘Galanterie de Cartier’ earrings.
Meghan and Harry do not fly back to London until tomorrow morning, but this was the last engagement for the couple, and we do not anticipate any photos from either airport.
UPDATE 2/27/19: It appears that Meghan was also wearing her Birks Iconic ™ Stackable Rose Gold and Diamond Snowflake and Bee Chic rings.
She first wore the Snowflake ring while visiting Edinburgh in February 2018 and the Snowflake and Bee Chic rings for Trooping the Colour June 2018.
Our thanks to Anne Young on Twitter for the tip!
Our WMW fashion recap from the WMW Instagram page:
VIDEO:
This runs about two minutes, and it gives you a good look at how Meghan’s dress moved.
Don’t miss the day’s earlier posts!
- Meghan is elegant for Morocco Market Visit
- And also Meghan Mixes Old and New for Equestrian and Cooking Engagements
It was a busy day for the Duchess!
And for those who have been following British Ambassador Thomas Reilly’s patriotic wardrobe choices, this will probably be appealing.
« British #ambassador to #Morocco shares pictures of his #chaussettes on Instagram ». Thank you @DailyMailUK! Now the #RoyalVisitMorocco is over, the pressures of that daily dilemma may diminish. Perhaps that will restore sanity to the sock-drawer! https://t.co/ALeAVlLAVy
— Thomas Reilly (@TSAReilly) February 25, 2019
LINKAGE:
- The Daily Mail‘s coverage is here; an Express piece is here; The Daily Mirror‘s story is here; The Daily Mail’s feature on Ambassador Reilly’s sartorial selections is here
- People’s article is here; a Hello! piece is here; PopSugar’s gallery is here
Thrift at Home says
Such gorgeous fabric made into a hideous dress :/ What a bummer. It just looks like too much fabric everywhere – if I was designing this dress, I would keep the sumptuous skirt and take off the sleeves or open up the neckline a bit. The high round neck and the big puffy-ish sleeves make it look little girly and/or 80s-style.
MARINA KONST says
I would like to comment here, in the last post of her appearances from the Morocco’s tour, that she has appeared more properly dressed, professional, comfortable, stylish and elegant than ever. All of her outfits and stylings have been done to perfection from top to toe, smart yet applicable to each and every occasion, never too much, never lesser than expected, and with a sense of respect and understanding of the place and position. Well done this time for the overall work of whoever is in her team.
And if there was ever a poll on all the Morocco’s outfits, I would definitely vote 100% for the Valentino’s ensemble she donned when landing! How Jackie’O, wasn’t it??
ThreeBagsFull says
Just wanted to add that there is a quick view of the back of the dress, at the end of the video you posted here, and it appears to be a zipper clousre and not the keyhole back seen on the runway. Beautiful color and fabric!
WhatMeghanWore says
Thank you for the heads-up! 🙂
s.p.a.r.k says
I like Meghan’s style as a whole… But this pregnancy phase is really hard to style. She looks radiant and happy, and frankly that is the only thing that manages to pull quite a few of the ensembles through. I was not a fan of the bodycontouring dresses but they are still better than no waist or a drop waist creations that regardless of the presence of pleats or pretty print look like very flowy tents.
Thelma says
I like the blue dress. It moves so beautifully with her and her posture is to die for!
MBStyle says
The dress is a beautiful colour with a pretty print. The colour on Meghan is nice but the dress on Meghan doesn’t work. She has to hold the dress to make sure she doesn’t trip. It looks like Harry is holding the clutch in a number of photos due to their perpetual hand in hand stance. The whole thing looks off to me and it’s too bad since she had several lovely outfits in the past few days.
Jessica says
Oh wow, there is so much about this that is wonderful–but it just misses for me. The color is glorious, I adore the print, and I love the sleeves. I don’t care, I do! The DoS has got the strong, wide shoulders you need to pull off a look like this; I’d just look like I had sunbonnets growing out of my ears.
BUT–but–the waistline is just not working for a pregnant figure. Oh gosh. We first learned this in the 1920s and then relearned it in the 1980s, when everyone weirdly started wearing drop-waist dresses again. No matter what you might think, they are NOT for people with curves, and while the Duchess could surely pull this off in her normal state, it’s just not being kind to her pregnant figure. And yes, it doesn’t help that it’s too long.
Allison says
The color is lovely but, in my opinion, the motif and the entire dress are way too big for Meghan’s petite frame. I think she looks more pulled-together in the form-fitting garments she has been wearing. Hair has been great this trip and for several weeks before. A messy bun is great at home or running around town but now she’s wearing business hair. A great representation for the family business.
Lins says
I know you all love Meghan but I must be looking at the wrong dress. Its loo long, too boxy across the chest the sleeves are terrible and it has way to much material in the front. Honestly it has to be the worst dress in general and the worst she has ever worn. It’s ok to not like the odd outfit and be honest. Agreeing with your best friend just cause shes your best friend is not being a friend.
Janet Dunbar says
I love love this dress – the color is beautiful on her. As a note of interest, these videos, short or long, show off her impeccable posture.
Annie says
Can someone explain why Meghan and Kate often carry clutch bags with no handles? They both need to shake hands and they are often presented with bouquets of flowers, so why do they use purses they also have to hold onto? Why not a bag with a strap or handle they can hang on an arm?
I do not mean this as a criticism of the bags themselves which are usually quite elegant; it just seems that a clutch bag makes everything harder for them.
Amelie says
I haven’t commented on any of the Moroccan tour posts but want to thank you for your dedicated and interesting coverage! I have no energy to go comment separately on all the posts so I will just limit to this Carolina Herrera dress. But I will say I really loved Meghan’s fashion on this tour!
As for this dress, there are elements I really like about it. The print is very pretty and the color really looks good on Meghan. I’m not too sure about the bulky sleeves, I know they are there for modesty but they dwarf her petite arms. The dress has a lot of material and I know it was made to accommodate her pregnancy. I’m wondering if an empire waist style would have looked a little better? I do enjoy this look for the most part. 🙂
Julie D says
Hi, Susan, is there a way to go quickly to the comments on my second, third, … tenth viewings of this site?
Thanks!
WhatMeghanWore says
Hi Julie – we are working on these modifications and hope to have this functioning soon. Apologies for any inconveniences! – Thanks, Susan C.
Ava Pittman says
I love this dress, when you are this advanced in pregnancy the most important things, comfort and coolness and this dress does both. Love the colour and I think the Duchess looks beautiful. The bag YES!
Meg says
Finally she is dressing like a pregnant lady this past week.
Jackie says
Thanks for updating us on the green version of the dress. It verifies that the fit on Meghan is spot on. The dress is meant to envelop the wearer and yet maintain a sense of high fashion. There is one point where Meghan spun around to shake the young Prince’s hand and the movement of the dress was just magical.
Zoe says
Oh my gosh, I never thought I’d use this word for Meghan’s wardrobe choice, but just: FRUMPY. Soooo not her style. Everything else on this tour has been spot on though!
Mary B. says
I find this dress exquisite on her and complementing to this 1950s Arabic-style country mansion set in a lush garden of ferns and bamboo trees. When you see her move it’s light and airy like the blue sky against a lovely forest back drop.
Ellen says
The color is good. And when she is seated, the style fits well with what the other women are wearing. But standing, I don’t like the dress. I liked the other version of the dress better, even on the runway.
Christina O. says
Thank you, Susan, for posting the dress update and photos! It does make sense Carolina Herrera would have several versions along with different choices in color on the runway.
Susan Dorion says
This is my first time posting a comment! I think this dress is incredibly beautiful and most appropriate for the occasion and the setting. At the risk of disagreeing with many, I feel that the seam is perfectly placed, as an empire “waistline” would have created a large amount of material “falling,” which would have truly swamped her tiny frame. The colour is divine on her. My only suggestions would have included shortening the dress slightly and having one layer on the sleeve to create an airier effect. Beautifully done, Meghan!
Kiara says
To me this didn’t work at all. The high neckline with the wide fluttery sleeves makes her look unusually broached across the chest and shoulders. I also agree with many others that the low waist was not as flattering as an empire would have been.
I actually liked the dress before it was modified. The natural waist defined the shape better, and the sheer sleeves broke up the chest area. I think this is a good example of the argument that clothing designed for maternity is more likely to flatter the pregnant form than regular clothing that one tries to squeeze into or, in this case, clothing modified to a degree that the integrity of the style is lost.
Oona Mistwalker says
Turns out the dress wasn’t modified at all from the runway version.
NOTE: admin edit
barbara says
Stunning, absolutely stunning!
ElizaMo says
Early pics of this dress led me to assume we had a repeat of the earlier OdlR floral swamped-out look, but later pics began to bring me round. I can understand those who’ve said it might have been better with an empire line, but as Meghan moves I can see the proportions and the tiers are nicely worked to skim over her figure with some lovely drape.
The original dress is fabulous, but clearly a challenge to adapt for maternity, even for the undoubted skills of Hererra. The print also is fabulous and once again references the Oriental genius for representation of the natural world. The colour is wonderful on Meghan.
I find nude accessories a little odd against the dress colour but maybe it works in a sunnier context than February in Scotland ? Hair is gorgeous, I love her sleek updos, and the Cartier earrings are sensational and spot on. Altogether Meghan is a vision of modesty in a culture where these things are taken extra seriously.
SG says
When compared to the otherwise outstanding outfits on this trip, this one is a miss. The color is very pretty, but it’s reworked to the point of not working. Not sure why these accessories were reused when Meghan doesn’t have to worry about careful packing like the rest of us. 🙂
Valerie Ash says
I love this dress, the colour is particularly lovely. I would have preferred dark blue accessories, but above all a pair of long dangly earrings. As the dress really doesn’t lend itself to any type of necklace, I feel it would have worked well with this floaty whimsical number. The earrings she did pick, although stunning, are just too businesslike in my opinion.
Becca says
Beautiful color and appropriately modest – I agree with many that an empire waist would have been much more flattering (and still modest).
covertanjou says
I really do not like this. If the belt had been modified to be an empire waist, it would have been stunning. As it is, with the belt at her hips, it does nothing for her. The colour and print is beautiful, so I hope this can be modified and she can wear it after she gives birth.
Charlotte says
Oh dear. This dress is absolutely hideous, a 90s nightmare. Apart from this outfit, however, Meghan really looked wonderful on this tour!
Christina O. says
I like the decorative pattern on the Carolina Herrera full length dress. In Herrera’s tweet (posted above) the gown is described as the Fall 2019 lavender and sapphire chiffon dress. The floral motif reminds me perhaps of lavender or the henna tattoo flowers seen on the arms and hands in Morocco! Or, Herrera’s reference could solely be for the beautiful palette of colors. So happy Meghan wore her Galanterie de Cartier earrings for this special meeting.
Bea says
Well done Meghan. Beautiful dress with appropriate modifications. Love it. Harry please buy your wife some stunning earrings.
Bonnie says
This dress Is so NOT Meghan. It is not neutral, it certainly isn’t minimal and it is opposite from the tight fitting clothes that she has often favoured during this pregnancy. I think it is just too much dress and it overwhelms her. Obviously dressing appropriately and conservatively in a Muslim country, influenced this choice.
I do like blue on blue and the shades are beautiful together. The print is so large and reminds me of wallpaper in the lobby of an old world hotel. The model’s dress has one large and two partial motives on the bodice, whereas Meghan’s has four…just too much. Had the original dress been given an empire waistline it would have presented better.
I am one who was saying her maternty clothing was too tight. Others said it was not necessary for her to wear tents. Well in this dress, we have a tent.
BlondieBlueEye Eight says
Your comments reminded of the maxi dress she wore right after she got married in June that overwhelmed her it was the oscar de la-renta floral long sleeve wrap maxi dress in powder blue/offwhite, too much material on both these outfits. They both needed to be altered with a little less material flowing and the hem 1/2 inch shorter, as I have said before there needs to be a tailor on staff to fix these types of items, when you pick out shoes that are being worn. The choice of bag & pumps should have been her Dior Navy Satin Clutch Bag navy and pumps that would complimented the colors of the gown. You can see Harry has blue suede shoes that look great next to her gown. I feel when you are spending all this money, why not get right accessories to make it look like a million dollars, she will always wear these accessories with other outfits, since she wears navy/ blue so much.
Bonnie says
BLONDIEBLUEEYE EIGHT (your name intrigues me)
Like you, I saw similarities between this dress and the blue and white one, by Oscar de la Renta. I also agree with you, that navy shoes and bag would have been better. As for a tailor on staff, well at the price of Meghan’s clothes, I would think the design house should do needed alterations on site. Surely they have their clients measurements on file.
Mary B. says
I am a lover of navy but against the back drop the nude heels and bag gives this dress a nice clean pop.
BlondieBlueEye Eight says
Hi Bonnie, I really do not do this, I have been call BlondieBlueEye since I’am a kid, I like that you think it is intriguing. Now tailoring and fashion, unless the fashion house send a tailor to the house, they take whatever measurements they are given and if there are choices to pick a different sleeve or neck line, they will do it in proportion to the size that is ordered. If I was in Meghan position, I would have two on staff, a hairdresser and tailor at all times or on call. I just looked a the update of gown, so this was not custom, it was a choice and they just change the neckline that there were two choices, that means no extra cost. I love ? to look at fashion and analyze it. Ciao!
Jackie says
Love the color and pattern of the dress. At times it appears a little big, but then I look at it from a different vantage point and all that material just looks luxurious and regal. For a moment I was convinced that Meghan was embracing the custom of the Moroccan Royal women of wearing excessively long gowns and then holding it up in the front as they walk.
I liked that Meghan and Harry matched.
It was also nice to see the young Prince with Harry. I also wished Princess Lalla and her daughter were present. That would have been a nice meeting for Meghan.
AMW says
I think she should have reworked the original belt into empire’. Beautiful though.
Tanya says
the dress is stunning but not as a maternity dress I’m afraid. hopefully she will have this one remade into a non-maternity version to wear after the baby comes
LadyLeah says
I love this print and I think the cornflower blue is beautiful on Meghan. Floaty, flowing fabric makes for a very graceful pregnant silhouette. I do hope we see this dress again, perhaps modified post baby.
Brandi says
I agree it is a very graceful floaty elegant look. It seems to fit the setting they are in and seems very comfortable too especially at this stage of pregnancy. I actually dont find the print overwhelming. Ive really liked her outfits for this tour, everything has seemed totally practical yet spot on in style. ?
Brandi says
Having gone back and reread the updated post I think I like the green version better.. its very tropical. But standing next to Harry in his blues and grays the blue dress is flattering.
Indie says
Although not overly fond of the pattern, I think this is a gorgeous gown. Being swathed in so much chiffon just seems so opulent and I think it’s perfect for both her pregnancy and the occasion. A tighter fit would not have worked at all here, in my opinion.
MuchLove says
I love the color and print, but do agree than an empire waist may have been a better choice than the drop waist.
Julie says
This color is beautiful on Meghan. The fit is also spot on, but I just don’t think the style is very becoming to her figure at this time. Maybe as someone mention, it might be reworked…it has lots of potential.