Meghan Markle Recycles Red Hot Dress (But With A Body-Hugging Twist)
Meghan Markle and her hubby Prince Harry are completely out of the royal loop, and it's starting to show in more ways than just the surprising revelations contained in their hit Netflix special, "Harry & Meghan." The Duke of Sussex is currently fifth in line for the throne (after the offspring of William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales), but he and Meghan publicly confirmed in January 2020 that they would no longer be acting as senior members of The Firm, and would be pursuing their own ventures.
The celebrity couple slowly moved away from royal life, and in their first public outing after the big announcement, the Duchess of Sussex proved she was ready to bust free from her royal reins, courtesy of a stunning, bright red Carolina Herrera gown. The dress had a generous silhouette, and a long, fluffy train, both very regal in nature. What made it distinctly not royal, however, was the super low-cut neckline that hovered just a couple of sparse inches above Meghan's waist. The queen would never have approved.
In the years since, the former "Suits" star has become gradually more confident stepping out of the conservative shadow of her in-laws — and that red dress that she originally wore in November 2021, to the Salute to Freedom Gala in New York City, has got even saucier, thanks to an encounter with a rather greedy pair of scissors.
The train has left the station
Meghan Markle has had her share of risqué looks since leaving the royal family, but her transformation from the traditionally conservative daughter-in-law of the King of England into an independent woman with a demonstrable love of fashion has never been more evident than in witnessing the evolution of this single dress. Rather than let a beautiful gown that no longer matched her status as a non-working royal go to waste, the Duchess of Sussex altered her original billowy dress from 2021 into a sleeker look for her appearance at the Children's Hospital LA Gala on October 5, 2024.
The color remained red hot and the neckline plunging, but the long train was lopped off to create a lighter, sexier silhouette. It also appears as if the side seams may have been taken in to more closely hug the former actor's slim figure. It's worth noting that Meghan was just five months postpartum, after giving birth to her daughter Lilibet, when she first wore the dress so it likely required some altering. Also lightening her look was the absence of Prince Harry, who didn't attend the gala — no doubt spawning more divorce rumors, despite the couple's PR spins on why they're spending time apart.