On Tuesday, only three days after her wedding to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle made her first public appearance as the Duchess of Sussex. And it was no minor event, either, as Meghan appeared with Harry, Charles, and Camilla at a 70th birthday event in honor of Prince Charles, which was attended by some 6,000 people.

Notably, gone was the messy bun and bare legs that characterized most of Meghan’s previous appearances; instead, she sported a sleek hairstyle (no tendrils in sight!) and the nude panty hose rumored to be required by the Queen for all royals. And her dress, made by Goat (one of Kate’s favorite brands), was extremely Middleton-esque, too. According to a royal source, the similarities to Kate’s sartorial flair are no coincidence.

“Kate has been on hand to help Meghan get that polished royal look as has her stylist, Natasha Archer, who is Kate’s secret weapon in the style department,” the source said to Vanity Fair. “Meghan now needs to find her own stylist so that she can curate her own look, but both Kate and Natasha have been very kind in helping her out in recent months.”

Vanity Fair has previously revealed how Kate had introduced Meghan to Emilia Wickstead, one of her other favorite designers, who helped ensure Meghan was dressed appropriately for the recent Anzac Day service she attended with Prince Harry.
Continue reading Meghan Markle Is Getting Help from Both the Queen and Kate Middleton’s Trusted Advisers

Back in February, Meghan Markle said during her appearance at the Royal Foundation Forum that women’s empowerment would be her focus as a royal—after the wedding, of course. “So yeah, I guess we wait a couple months and then we can hit the ground running,” she said. The ceremony is now done, along with Markle’s first event as a full-fledged member of the family with Prince Harry, which happened Tuesday.

Markle is now set to go on her honeymoon, but shortly after that, expect to see the Duchess of Sussex out on multiple solo events and announcing her own project she’s already working on, royal expert and ABC News royal contributor Omid Scobie told ELLE.com.

“Meghan is keen to start working as soon as they return from honeymoon,” Scobie said. “She has been quietly working on a project that will be announced later this year. Meghan’s first solo engagements will see her visiting a number of small charities and grass roots organizations across the UK as she continues to decide what her first patronage will be. We know that she’s a keen feminist, it’s written in her official bio on the official Royal Family website—a first!—and she’s interested in issues that affect youth in the UK, such as gang culture. It will be exciting to see how she uses this very influential platform she now stands on.” Continue reading What Meghan Markle’s First Solo Events as a Royal Will Be

Meghan Markle may now be officially known as the Duchess of Sussex, but to her friends, she’s still just “Meg.”

Makeup artist Daniel Martin — the creative consultant for Honest Beauty, Dior Beauty brand ambassador and a longtime friend of Meghan’s who helped her achieve the perfect beauty look for her wedding day — tells PEOPLE that even he was confused as to what to call her after she was married to Prince Harry.

“I asked her that. ‘Do I bow to you? I don’t want to disrespect you, but I’ve known for almost ten years. What’s up?’” he recalls. “She started laughing and she said, ‘I’m always going to be Meg. Meg.’”

Martin added, “But next time I see them I will be respectful and know my protocol. But Meg is always going to be Meg, that’s how it is!”

Continue reading ‘I’m Always Going to Be Meg’: The Sweet Thing Meghan Markle Told Makeup Artist Pal Before Wedding

With so much changing in Meghan Markle’s life after Prince Harry proposed in November 2017, the now-Duchess of Sussex didn’t get a chance to begin planning the breathtaking bridal gown she wore on her wedding day until a month after her engagement. Busy touring the U.K. with Harry for royal engagements, taking private meetings at Kensington Palace, and unpacking the last of her things from her Toronto move, Markle needed a mid-December reminder from her best friend and bridal expert Jessica Mulroney, who told the bride-to-be during a phone call that the search for a royal wedding dress designer needed to begin “ASAP.”

Citing just a dozen “bridal inspo” pics saved to her phone from Instagram, Pinterest, and fashion websites, Markle knew exactly what she was looking for—modern, elegant, timeless, and appropriate. With the help of Mulroney, Markle worked her way through a list of potential designers, many of whom had submitted sketches to her office at Kensington Palace. “Designers from every big name in fashion you can think of were on that first list,” a source close to Markle tells BAZAAR.com. “Burberry, Ralph and Russo, Erdem, Roland Mouret, Stella [McCartney].” Continue reading The Untold Story of Meghan Markle’s Wedding Dress

She has only been a member of what Prince Philip calls “the Firm” for three days, but Meghan Markle is already preparing for her role as a working royal.

Sources at the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, of which Harry is the president, have told Vanity Fair that Meghan plans to start working with the organization imminently. “It’s going to be one of the first official roles Meghan takes on,” the source said. “There have already been talks, and when Meghan was asked when she wanted to get involved she replied ‘May 20.’”

The role would fit with the couple’s ambitions to focus their efforts within the Commonwealth countries and realms, where they would particularly like to put the spotlight on young people. The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust works to provide small loans and funding to young people throughout the Commonwealth who are leading their own nonprofits or otherwise embarking on projects that serve the greater good.

A Palace aide confirmed the news: “The Duchess will be involved in supporting their work.” Continue reading Meghan Markle Chooses Her First Royal Job

It’s not every day that your jewelry gets worn to a royal wedding.

But that’s exactly what happened for jeweler Lisette Polny, founder of Zofia Day, when Meghan Markle‘s friends wore her pieces on Saturday.

“It’s an overwhelming honor to be part of history and for my pieces to be given as a keepsake for this momentous occasion,” Polny tells PEOPLE exclusively.

As a token of her appreciation, Meghan gifted six of her best friends — and new sister-in-law Kate Middleton! — with a solid gold disc bracelet, suitably called the “Kensington.” The bespoke design in yellow gold was made specifically for the royal wedding and approved by Meghan herself. The special piece is now available to buy for $450.

While they weren’t official bridesmaids, Meghan’s closest confidantes, including Benita Litt and Jessica Mulroney, were by her side on her big day — and it was Meghan’s wish that they be given something special to remember the occasion. Continue reading See The Bespoke Wedding Bracelet Meghan Markle Commissioned for Her Best Friends

‘Suits’ alum Markle has already shaken up the Royal family — and she’s only just begun to make her mark.
The day Charles and Diana got married in 1981, my mother looked down at my sleep-disheveled form on the couch and said, “Your grandfather would be spinning in his grave if he knew you were watching this.”

Back in Ireland a hundred or so years ago, my grandfather had worked for exploitative businesses owned by English aristocrats, and he’d had nasty run-ins with the King’s law-enforcement minions too. His opinion of rich Brits was low, to put it mildly. How could I be so royal-mad then — and now? Why will I get up early on May 19 to watch Meghan Markle tie the knot with Prince Harry?

There are a few reasons, and one of them is that I’m a sucker for pomp, pageantry and gorgeous gowns. Saturday is basically the Emmys with golden trumpets and gilded carriages and no Ryan Seacrest. Add to that the fact that Meghan and Harry give every indication of being really and truly in love, and honestly, what’s not to like? Continue reading Suited for a World Stage: Meghan Markle Is the Inclusive Feminist the Royals Need