Meghan Markle's Most Risqué Looks Since Leaving The Royal Family

When it comes to causing a stir in the House of Windsor, Meghan Markle comes second only to her own mother-in-law, Princess Diana. When Meghan tied the knot with Prince Harry, it seemed like a fairytale had begun. An American actress found love with the most eligible bachelor in Britain and was suddenly part of history. Only, history took a turn, and Meghan's experience as a royal was less than glittering, causing her to step down from her duties alongside her husband in 2020. Ever since then, Meghan and Harry have been trying to establish themselves in America so they can march to the beat of their own drum.

While there have been many developments since then, like the birth of the couple's second child, Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, and the rise and fall of their media empire, there's one thing that Meghan has changed more than anything else: her fashion. As Harry's fiancée and then wife, Meghan was expected to ditch some of the risqué styles she previously favored for a more demure, reserved look akin to her station.

Gone were the short skirts and plunging necklines, but since Meghan has been trying to get back to normality, we've seen her style revert somewhat. In fact, considering that she's still a duchess, Meghan has chosen some rather interesting looks since leaving the royal family that seem to tell the House of Windsor exactly where they should stuff it! Let's take a look.

These days, it's 50/50 whether we can expect to see Meghan Markle and Prince Harry appearing at events that involve a red carpet. The couple has a complicated relationship with the spotlight, and for good reason. Though Meghan Markle made her fortune as an actress, she didn't sign up for the amount of scrutiny she received. Given the turn of events, fans were a little surprised when the duke and duchess attended the 2021 Salute to Freedom Gala at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in New York City. 

Meghan didn't hold back and opted to wear a truly stunning scarlet gown by Carolina Herrera. The jaw-dropping dress had a thigh-high split and a plunging neckline, the likes of which royals typically avoid for obvious reasons. The dress came complete with a dramatic train, giving off Old Hollywood vibes as Meghan chose neutral makeup to accentuate her natural features.

Meghan's outfit was a certified showstopper, and sent out a message: Her days of wearing beige, boring numbers to events so she could blend in were well and truly over.

Prince Harry's documentary "Heart of Invictus" showed viewers just how important the games are to the prince and Meghan Markle. The event, which sees wounded veterans compete, has been a labor of love for Harry since he first launched it back in 2014. Of course, when Harry struck up a romance with Meghan, she soon became a staple at the games where she often speaks and supports her husband. In spring 2022, two years after their exit from the royal family, the duchess appeared at the games wearing a not-so-royal shift dress.

The cream outfit featured three-quarter-length sleeves and subtle floral cutout detailing. While it's still very modest compared to some of Meghan's pre-Harry outfits, there's one element that defies royal protocol: the sheer amount of leg on display. Royals typically wear knee-length or below-the-knee dresses to protect their modesty.

Meghan herself adhered to this rule throughout her time as a senior working royal, but once she stepped down, all bets were off. Meghan also wore a deep red lipstick for the occasion, which is something the other royal ladies avoid.

In 2022, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attended a gala in New York City. While Harry wore a suave black suit and white shirt complete with a skinny black tie, Meghan opted for an off-the-shoulder white dress. Her hair was pulled back into her signature low up-do, and she accessorized with simple diamond jewelry. 

At first glance, there is nothing risqué about this rather on-trend gala look. However, Meghan almost suffered a dire wardrobe malfunction when she got out of the car. The thigh-high split in the gown caused the dress to gape open as she climbed out, with Harry standing nearby holding an umbrella for his wife. Thankfully, the malfunction was narrowly avoided, but one can't help but speculate that it would never have come so close if Meghan still had a royal stylist and royal security at hand. 

All in all, it was a very close call for Meghan and could have had her plastered over the headlines yet again for unflattering reasons. The way her husband is standing by, seemingly unaware, also makes this one of the most awkward interactions between Harry and Meghan on record. 

In 2023, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wore a glamorous, off-the-shoulder dress with a revealing center cutout. The striking outfit was the talk of the town when Meghan wore it to accept the 2023 Women of Vision Award, because it was such a huge departure from the kind of dress she would have worn at the height of her royal fame. You would never see other senior members of the family wear something quite so eye-catching, regardless of the occasion, and multiple media outlets commented on the gown for that reason.

The Johanna Ortiz gown was arguably beautiful in its own merit, but Meghan's former royal wardrobe was primarily made up of black, white, and beige outfits, a stark contrast from this shiny number. Perhaps with this dress, Meghan was signaling to the royal family that she wasn't trying to blend in anymore; instead, it was her time to shine.

Even though plenty of royal women like to show off a structured pants suit, Meghan Markle's style, especially since leaving her senior position as a royal, has always had its own personal twist. In September 2023, the Duchess of Sussex wore a cream halter neck top to the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, Germany, bearing her shoulders in a rather daring way. 

The halter neck was an interesting choice, as Meghan paired it with high-waisted wide-leg pants that were all business. The casualness of the top and how much of her shoulders she bared certainly turned heads, not least because the halter scooped right in toward her neckline.

While it wasn't a bad look, it certainly wasn't one of the duchess' best, and given the formality of the occasion, it seemed a little bit of a risky choice. 

In 2023, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, once again threw royal caution to the wind when she appeared alongside her husband for the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf. This time, Meghan opted for smart-casual, wearing a cream blazer with black detailing and tailored shorts. She paired the look with classic Chanel ballet flats for a touch of extra glam. While it's not a risqué outfit by normal standards, Meghan is still a duchess, even if she stepped down from her working role. The amount of leg on show might be a little startling to royal fans who aren't used to seeing quite so much skin. 

After all, Catherine, Princess of Wales, typically avoids wearing shorts unless she's participating in sports or visiting an incredibly hot destination like the Caribbean. Instead, she prefers chic dresses that often land her on best-dressed lists. There is something to be said for the practicality of shorts, but when it comes to typical royal fashion, they simply are not part of the wardrobe. 

The late Queen Elizabeth II, though arguably from a different generation, always stuck to modest skirts and was never photographed wearing shorts, even in her younger years. Things are changing, but something tells us Meghan's evolving style has more to do with her reclaiming her independence than moving with the times. 

It's not unusual for senior royals to go to movie premieres. Even Princess Catherine and Prince William have been known to attend the odd one. In 2024, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry dolled themselves up for the premiere of "Bob Marley: One Love" in Kingston, Jamaica. Harry wore a simple navy suit, while Meghan chose a black dress with spaghetti straps and a full skirt. It was a beautiful dress that accentuated Meghan's neckline, but it also showed off something royals usually steer clear of: cleavage. 

Showing one's cleavage is frowned upon among the royal family females, who always try to dress modestly. Princess Catherine always makes sure she's covered up, whether it's at a fancy dinner or a Hollywood event. Queen Elizabeth II and her direct family members also never dared to show anything more than the collar bone.

If anything, this photograph shows us just how far Meghan has come over the years, and how she's slowly but surely reverting back to her old, less-stuffy style. Could the best Meghan Markle fashion moments be yet to come? 

There are lots of things Prince Harry and Meghan Markle can't do now they've stepped down as working royals. They can't take advantage of the royal bank balance and can't even get the same level of security they once had. But, they haven't let their decision stop them from their charitable pursuits. The couple still make visits abroad as royals, and in spring 2024, they were invited to visit Nigeria by General Christopher Musa. Nigeria was the first African country to participate in Harry's Invictus Games.

Though the trip was just a few days long, Meghan wore a series of interesting outfits, but one caused more of a stir than others. On one particular day, Meghan donned a floor-length blush-pink backless dress that barely clung to her sides. Funnily enough, the Heidi Merrick dress is called the "Windsor." It's not the first time that Meghan defied royal tradition by wearing a backless number.

She famously wore a white backless gown to her wedding reception in 2018, perhaps to give fans a signal that she wasn't about to play fair in the royal style stakes.

It can be difficult to know what to wear in hot countries without showing off too much flesh, and it's good to know that Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, also suffers from that same confusion. For another outfit worn on her visit to Nigeria in 2024, Meghan wore a draped dress with a plunging neckline. While the neutral pattern looked stunning on her, it wasn't without its drawbacks and near-miss moments. 

When shaking hands and chatting with children, Meghan's neckline began to shift, almost causing her to reveal a little more than would have been appropriate. It's the risk you take with free-flowing material, but thankfully, Meghan managed to keep it all together and avoid a disaster.

The dress also bared Meghan's shoulders, which seems to have become the norm since leaving the royal family and moving back to America — away from the British weather.