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Meghan Markle should wear a British designer to attend King Charles III's coronation next year in a move that would bring the duchess some "positive PR" in the country, Newsweek has heard.
Royal fashion expert and celebrity stylist Miranda Holder told Newsweek she hopes the Duchess of Sussex "wears a British designer" for the landmark event as "she is in need of some positive PR over here, and supporting British Fashion would definitely help."
Buckingham Palace announced on Tuesday that King Charles' coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023—the same day as Meghan and Prince Harry's son Archie's fourth birthday.
Though whether or not the Sussexes will travel to Britain for the event has not yet been confirmed, as the son and daughter-in-law of the new monarch, they would by tradition play a central role.
If the ceremony follows the form of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, as a royal duke, Harry would swear allegiance to his father in front of the abbey's high altar, with Meghan standing alongside sister-in-law Kate Middleton, the new Princess of Wales, and other senior royal women.
The duchess' popularity in Britain hit an all-time low in the days preceding her return to the country for the Platinum Jubilee, having stepped down from her working royal role with Harry in 2020.
Though relations between the Sussexes and the rest of the royal family are reported to be strained, Charles made a point of expressing his "love" for the couple in his first speech as monarch.
"I thought she looked stunning at the Queen's funeral and Jubilee," Holder commented on Meghan's appearance at the royal events, "but the look was more Hollywood starlet than royalty. It will be interesting to see if there's a pivot in her image, which is quite possible..."
From her wedding day onwards, Meghan has deviated from royal tradition adhered to by other female members of the family by wearing clothing both British and European fashion houses.
Her 2018 wedding dress was from the Paris house of Givenchy and the outfit worn to the Platinum Jubilee service of thanksgiving was Christian Dior haute couture.
For the coronation celebrations, Holder said we can expect to see a mixture of old and new fashion pieces on the royal women, whose outfits will be "dissected down to every last polished half an inch."
"I am expecting a combination of re-wearing old favorites," she said, which is "a strategy that has been adopted more and more by the Windsor leading ladies over recent years and provides reassuring familiarity to the public, positioning the royals as being more relatable.
"New couture will likely make an appearance too, with all pieces being specially designed, or at the very least customized to suit Princess Kate and Camilla Queen Consort—that's normal Royal protocol."
On the boost that the coronation will provide for the British fashion industry, Holder said it will provide a unique opportunity for "home-grown design talent to showcase their work to the world."
"It's huge!," she said. "We know from the iconic Princess Diana and more recently the remarkable 'Kate effect' that previously little-known brands can become global sensations overnight.
"The credibility of being endorsed by royalty, particularly its young shining stars such as Princess Kate, is unparalleled. Like many others, the fashion industry was greatly impacted by COVID, and although economically things are starting to recover, this will be a huge and much-needed boost."
Newsweek previously heard that Charles' coronation will be a "considerably slimmed down" event compared to the one staged for his mother Queen Elizabeth II in 1952, but will still balance "tradition and modernity" while remaining a "magnificent spectacle."
No formal information on the guest list for the coronation has yet been released. Buckingham Palace said that "further details will be announced in due course."
Newsweek has approached Buckingham Palace and representatives of Meghan Markle for comment.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more