On her first appearance in the royal box at Ascot yesterday, every element of the new Duchess of Sussex’s outfit has been scrutinised – even down to her name badge.
Eagle-eyed fans were quick to note that Meghan did not fasten her name badge – which read HRH The Duchess of Sussex – to her front, as her husband Prince Harry did and the Duchess of Cambridge has always done on her own Ascot outings.
Instead Meghan chose to carry her royal box badge in her hand, toting it along with her neat Givenchy clutch bag.
But while strict dress codes govern the enclosures at the Berkshire race meeting, royal historian Marlene Koenig told Harper’s Bazaar that pinning on a name badge is ‘nothing to do with protocol’, adding that Meghan likely chose to hold hers to avoid damaging the delicate fabric of her Givenchy shirt dress.
The Duchess of Sussex made her Royal Ascot debut yesterday on the arm of her dashing husband Prince Harry – and eagle-eyed fans were quick to note she didn’t wear her name badge in the royal enclosure
Royal watchers pointed out that the Duchess of Cambridge, seen at Ascot two years ago in a cream lace Dolce & Gabbana dress, always wears her pin in the enclosure at the Berkshire racecourse
While Kate, who rarely puts a foot wrong at formal events, pinned on her badge – which read HRH The Duchess of Cambridge – on trips to Ascot in 2016 and 2017, her dresses, both cream lace, were less likely to have been damaged by a pin.
‘Wearing pins has nothing to do with protocol,’ Koenig said.
‘Protocol is for official, diplomatic, state events, [including] where you sit, when you enter, etc…. perhaps [she] did not want to ruin that nice Givenchy dress with a pin hole.’
Meghan, who turned to her wedding dress designer, Clare Waight Keller at Givenchy, for her first Ascot look, instead opted to carry her name badge, while Harry wore his on his lapel
Kate is seen at Ascot in 2016, with her Royal Box pin enscribed ‘HRH The Duchess of Cambridge’ fastened firmly to the front of her lace dress
In 2017 Kate opted for another cream lace dress, this time by her wedding dress designer Alexander McQueen, and again pinned her royal box name badge to the front
Meghan pulled out all the stops for her Royal Ascot debut yesterday, turning once again to her wedding dress designer – Clare Waight Keller at Givenchy – for her first appearance at one of the most high profile events of the season.
Prince Harry’s wife, 36, wore a crisp white coat dress featuring an edgy asymmetrical hemline, in stark contrast to the sea of sensible pastel-coloured frocks on display in the Royal Enclosure.
Meghan paired it with a statement black and white hat from milliner to the stars – and the royals – Philip Treacy.
Celebrity stylist Lucas Armitage told FEMAIL the LA-raised Duchess is demonstrating a flair for taking classic items and reinterpreting them with a ‘cool and contemporary’ twist.
‘It’s a classic coat dress – which has long being a favoured style for Ascot goers – but Meghan has injected high fashion credentials to what could be considered a standard clothing item,’ he said.
‘Meghan is showing us what she does best, taking a chic item and putting her unique spin on it.’