Why didn’t Duchess Meghan wear a name-tag on her Givenchy at Royal Ascot?

The British Royal family enjoys day 1 of Royal Ascot 2018

After a couple of fashion disasters as a newly-minted duchess, I was already making excuses for the Duchess of Sussex. Give her time, I told myself. Very few women marrying into this family would really knock it out of the park immediately. Plus, remember that Meghan has multiple audiences to whom she has to cater: the nitpicking royal-adjacents, the actual royal family, the fashionistas, and more. But still, I couldn’t help it: I was disappointed. But you know what? I actually thought her Givenchy at Royal Ascot worked for the occasion. It was pretty, interesting, conservative, and it looked at home at Royal Ascot. Yes, I know there were lots of buttons but let’s be clear: if OG Duchess of Buttons Kate had chosen this dress, she would have bespoke’d the crap out of it and replaced the small buttons with giant, shiny buttons. Small mercies.

And before all of the Keen Defenders come in here, crying and wailing about how can I dare compare Meghan and Kate, let me be clear: every single gossip/fashion outlet was making comparisons. People Magazine even ran an article about why Meghan didn’t wear a name-tag at Royal Ascot when Kate wore one last year. The reason? There was no real reason – the Queen doesn’t wear a name-tag, so Meghan chose not to wear hers either. She carried her name tag along with her clutch. That doesn’t explain why Kate chose to wear one last year though.

There’s also some “comparison articles” being written about why Meghan got to come to Royal Ascot after only being married for a month, while Kate waited five years to attend her first Royal Ascot – she attended in both 2016 and 2017. So why did Kate wait so long? According to Hello!’s Emily Nash, Kate was invited all of those years but she only decided to come in 2016 because that was the Queen’s 90th birthday and Kate’s presence was some kind of birthday present (lol). As for why Kate didn’t show up for five years… Nash claims it’s because “Kate and William were focused on raising their young children.” In 2011 and 2012, they didn’t have any children. Just by the way. I understand not going in 2013 – Kate was due any moment. And I understand not going in 2015, because she had just given birth to Charlotte. But what about the other years again?

Last thing: apparently, Prince Charles is so fond of his new daughter-in-law that he’s given her a special nickname: Tungsten. He calls her Tungsten after the metal. Because he thinks she’s so tough.

Royal Ascot 2018 - Day 1

Royal Ascot 2018 - Day 1

Photos courtesy of WENN, Backgrid.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

173 Responses to “Why didn’t Duchess Meghan wear a name-tag on her Givenchy at Royal Ascot?”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. Naomi says:

    She had it on her bag. I’m assuming she didn’t want to ruin her dress by pining it on?

    • manda says:

      exactly! I never put pins in most of my stuff for the same reason.

      Wouldn’t it have been funny had it been on, like, a coach lanyard? Or, similar? (Like people who have work IDs use). I would have thought that really funny

    • Morning Coffee says:

      The real question is why the royal family would need name tags. That seems so peasanty.

      • KiddV says:

        Right!? Hello, My Name is…

        Maybe they should switch to the stickers so as not to ruin dresses.

    • Sally says:

      Said name tag would have added needed bling to her plain wedding dress.

  2. Belluga says:

    Camilla and Eugenie didn’t wear one either, I don’t think.

    There’s a photo where you can see her carrying the badge and it looks like a pin one. No way in hell would I be putting holes in my lovely Ascot dress!

    • Becks1 says:

      I don’t think Camilla wore hers either.

    • Nic919 says:

      Beatrice either. This nametag thing is much ado about nothing. It’s not like the Queen had a problem with it since she went up to Meghan and they laughed and chatted away.

  3. Melania says:

    I think Meghan is like a daughter for Prince Charles. It’s very sweet.

    • mkyarwood says:

      And he wanted a daughter.

    • Becks1 says:

      Yes there is a picture of Charles, Camilla, Harry and Meghan talking and you can only see Charles’s face, but he is clearly having a great time with them.

      • Olenna says:

        Here’s the pic of PC looking quite jolly, LOL!
        https://twitter.com/SPerryPeoplemag/status/1009071248880623616

        She’s probably made a friend of TQ’s racing advisor as well.
        https://twitter.com/Geekygirl500000/status/1009079646594502657

      • Sid says:

        Olenna, that snapshot of Meghan helping the Queen’s racing advisor is sort of a microcosm of part of why I think she has been able to get where she is. As much as it is said that nice guys finish last, being a kind person can really take you far.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        @ Sid

        Bingo! In the days when I still swam through the murky, swamps of the Daily Mail comments section, I left quite a few comments saying exactly that. She’s successful with people because she’s warm, sweet, likeable and very easy to be around. Very few people are lucky enough to be like this naturally.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        On another note……..re Charles and Meghan as his new *daughter……..is this the real reason for Thomas Markles most recent media parade?

        Was this his crass attempt at reminding the world that that is still his daughter, “handsome Prince Charles” be damned?

      • Olenna says:

        I agree, Sid and Bella. I think she’s genuinely kind and thoughtful. Nurturing and wise as well, with her calm demeanor and open personality. My great-grandmother would’ve ID’d her as an old soul. That’s probably why she’s been able to deal with the Markles without breaking down or letting them affect her ability to develop good relationships with her new family.

      • magnoliarose says:

        I love this quote from Kurt Vonnegut:
        “Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you’ve got a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies-“God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.”
        It isn’t that hard to be nice to people and it does go a very long way.

      • Liberty says:

        @magnoliarose, oh, thank you for that quote. Marvelous. I’d forgotten (inexcusably) that they were his words.

    • Snazzy says:

      Yes! I love that nickname. Adorable

  4. Alyse says:

    Well…that’s a strange nickname!

    • Masamf says:

      Given what Meg’s been put through by not only her vile family but also by the British media, all because she dated and married prince Harry, I’d say this name fits perfectly fine.To PoW, Meghan represents some unbendable steel, thus Tungsten. I think he is in awe at how this petite woman can exude such strength, can handle such pressure but still have a smile o her face and treat others with kindness.
      I believe whenever the British press and Meghan family attack them, Harry and Meghan just say “you can try, but you can not break me. Im the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul, Im Invictus”.

      • Yup, Me says:

        I hope they really do say that cheesy shi*t. In fact, I hope they chant it together like kids at summer camp, ending on a roar. And that Eugenie and her nice but dim fiance rush over from their place to join in.

      • Masamf says:

        LOL you funny. But seriously, Harry strikes me as a hot head, but Meg is his calming effect, like she is the yan to his yin. And of course I believe mama Doria checks in on a regular basis with words of wisdom “Flower, do not forget what I said. Sometimes you own family will turn on you, when that ever happens, just focus on the good things in life, think about the kindness those close to you have shown you, don’t ever lose yourself, focus on the goodness in the world and how you my Flower can affect some change to those afflicted. Speech is silver, but silence is gold. The best revenge to those that wish death for you is to continue living your life as if they do not even exist. You and your husband have got this Flower, you are doing pretty good, you guys are gonna be just fine.” 🙂

        Okay, now Im being cheesy, LOL

      • minx says:

        I like Harry much more recently for his choice of a wife. I hope she’s a good influence on him.

      • Liberty says:

        I am reminded somehow of the Anastacia song, Paid My Dues. Tungsten! Love it. Nice that she gets on well it’s Charles. This all makes me happy, ha ha.

  5. Zapp Brannigan says:

    I am sure it is part of some plot to take down the monarchy, because of reasons and such. Run Harry! She has blackmailed you in marrying her and pretending to be happy because of reasons and such.

    Just thought I would get the conspiracy theories out of the way early.

    • Becks1 says:

      He’s a condemned man!!!!

      (that’s still my favorite.)

      • Masamf says:

        LOL, he is a condemned man, LOL, like she gonna murder him and have his hide for dinner, LOL. Some people can be very dramatic and OTT

    • Bella DuPont says:

      She apparently has some extremely damning evidence against Harry and has cleverly and expertly leveraged it into the appearance of a happy marriage.

      PS: It is generally understood that MI6 is aware of the situation but are unable to intervene, due to the extreme deviousness she employed, while setting the traps.

    • harla says:

      Thanks Zapp, Becks and Bella I needed a good laugh today!!

  6. TheOriginalMia says:

    It was obvious she didn’t want to poke holes in the material of her dress. Silly article by People. I like Charles’ name for Meghan. I think it fits.

  7. gingersnaps says:

    Her dress is lovely, if you’ve seen a video of her, the lace detailing was gorgeous. I tuned in just to watch the royal carriage procession and she was beautiful, poised a bit nervous at times but who wouldn’t be?

    • Goldengirlslover34 says:

      I love the dress. Bought one that was similar in lenght and buttons in April and wore it with motor cycle boots and a vegan leather jacket. Accessorized with huge hoops and a red lip. I was stopped constantly by people asking about the dress and I am in NYC. I think it’s such a great length that can be dressed up or down and just ordered a few more for the summer to wear with sandals and wedges

      • harla says:

        I can picture the way you styled your dress Goldengirl and am loving it!!! I always enjoy wearing moto boots with a frilly, feminine dress, it perfectly captures my double-sided nature I guess.

      • Goldengirlslover34 says:

        Harla, exactly! Love frilly and flowery dresses with leather and motorcyle boots! I think it’s so 90s in a more updated way.

      • magnoliarose says:

        I am sure you looked gorgeous. 🙂

      • Liberty says:

        That sounds amazing, Goldengirlslover34.

  8. Sushi says:

    There was one Twitter user noting the Queen Elizabeth’ reaction when speaking to her granddaughter-in-law. The 92 year old Monarch sported quite a big grin talking to the Sussexes.

      • Becks1 says:

        awww those pictures are so cute. She clearly gets along really well with her ILs, and that’s nice to see.

      • KiddV says:

        I love the grin but the second photo where the Queen is smiling while Meghan talks is really sweet.

        TQ looks genuinely happy in these photos. I know she’s usually happy at Ascot, it’s one of her favorite things, I’m not saying she’s happy only because of Meghan.

      • Lahdidahbaby says:

        Love LOVE those pics! Meghan looks so pretty in white, and the dress looks much nicer here than in the pics I saw yesterday. I’m delighted to see the warmth and affection the RF is showing her–both Charles and the Queen are customarily less demonstrative than this in public, so their response says a lot about Meghan, and it’s to their credit that they see her worth and have extended themselves to make her feel welcome. She has a wonderful mother, and now a new extended family, so here’s hoping the rest of her disgusting relatives will recede into the background.

  9. Natalie S says:

    I wish they would announce her patronages or at least give us an update I’m tired of the fashion stuff.

    • Belluga says:

      Same, I’m looking forward to finding out what she’s picked! The royals tend to take a summer break though, so I suspect we might not get an announcement until early autumn.

    • PrincessK says:

      Lol! 😆

    • minx says:

      I love the fashion stuff!

      • Lahdidahbaby says:

        Yeah, I love it too, Minx. Of course I’ll be fascinated to see what patronages Meghan selects, but I’ll still be rabidly interested in what she wears when she visits them or speaks for them!

    • Mego says:

      KP trotted out the “she’ll be taking her time and choosing carefully and thoughtfully” pr that they did with Kate in 2011 and I just rolled my eyes.

  10. Becks1 says:

    I love the Ascot dress and the criticism is tiresome to me because its so….I dunno. Condescending? “her clothes should fit!” this dress does fit. If you look at the shoulders, it is perfectly tailored for her frame. something doesn’t have to be form-fitting to “fit.” “she should be fancier!!” Eugenie’s dress is very simple as well, and Anne wasn’t especially fancy either, although both looked nice.

    it’s one thing for a dress to not be your style – but then just say that. I say it about Kate all the time! “she looks nice, NMS, but she looks nice.” Don’t cloak it in this concern for Charles’s money being wasted because you don’t think the clothes fit.

    • veroS says:

      This! I love looser fitting clothing. I sometimes wear more fitted, tighter clothing but not everything has to fit like a second skin.

      She looks great

      • Milla says:

        There’s loose and there’s that De la Renta. Two shouldn’t be confused .

        But the Ascot dress was good, better in motion. The whole look was good. I don’t think people were critical over her appearance yesterday.

      • Becks1 says:

        @Mila there was a whole host of comments about how she looked nice but the dress wasn’t fancy enough, or the dress didn’t fit, why do her clothes swim on her, etc.

      • sass says:

        I really liked the oscar de la renta dress too. Very pretty in motion but the fascinator was off. I love these loose clothes

      • Milla says:

        Becks

        It’s a matter of taste. I love shirt dresses. I like that clothes is tailored but not tight.

        Problem is that Meghan came into that family with high expectations. Hence people will nitpick. Also, she’s a royal, we love to talk about them, their whole concept is based on what they wear and how they stand and smile… It’s not like they actually work.

      • Masamf says:

        What I found interesting yesterday is desire the huge amount of criticism for Meghan in the “duchess debut at Ascot” thread, fashion magazines gave her raving reviews. I said before, I take the criticism of fashion that goes on here with a handful of salt. I make sure to watch videos before I render a verdict. The ODLR wedding dress was a huge miss for me, and that was after I watched the video. But Meghan’s Ascot debut look was a hit, at least in my books. People complained about the color of her dress but they gave high marks for Huge, princess royal, Camilla etc, and I was like what? They all practically wearing the same shade, aren’t they?

        OH and ETA, Meghan doesn’t have a stylist at this point. Apparently se asked CWK to dress her for the Ascots, dresses were sent to her and she picked this dress. Right now, I believe she is being her own stylist, I think her and her hubby are choosing what they like and they go with that.

      • magnoliarose says:

        I did not like the wedding dress but I don’t like most and I expected not to like it. Like milla I love shirtdresses and like casual elements in more “formal” clothing. It reminds me of Diana Vreeland or Coco Chanel. I have grown to like this dress a lot more since watching it in motion.
        She stood out without making a screaming Neon play for it.

    • SlightlyAnonny says:

      Thank you for this! So many people seem to confuse tailoring with bodycon/skin tight. The gorgeous Ascot dress fit and she looked lovely.

    • ValiantlyVarnished says:

      Especially considering that most of the people making those comments don’t have a clue about tailoring. Her clothes DO fit her. The shoulder and waist and seams all site where they’re supposed to. Tailoring doesn’t mean skin tight.

  11. Antimon says:

    “And before all of the Keen Defenders come in here, crying and wailing about how can I dare compare Meghan and Kate…”

    That’s a lot of contempt for a substantial part of your readership. I feel like most of the comments are fairly reasonable, at least polite enough.

    • Becks1 says:

      It’s because it happens all the time and its kind of predictable at this point.

      Look at the post about Prince Louis’s christening – I don’t think Kaiser said one word about Meghan (maybe, Id have to double check) and there is a snarky comment about how at least Kate’s clothes fit her. Or yesterday someone got snarky about Meghan wearing Givenchy and why do people complain about Kate wearing McQueen. etc.

      Kate and Meghan are going to be compared and that’s inevitable, and it’s not just Kaiser/Celebitchy doing it. And the response to those comparisons from the big Kate fans is always “she’s the future queen so…..” and I’m not sure what that has to do with her wearing a lace dress or not.

      • Milla says:

        Both women have had their hits and misses. Both married royals. But Kate and Meg are two different people. They will be compared to death and no one can do anything about it. It’s more fun than anything sinister.

        They will both be overshadowed by Diana, that’s the sad part, cos Diana seemed like a warm and loveable parent, so she would be happy with her sons being happy. Even Chuck seems to enjoy being part of their new families. Heck even Camilla.

        If you have good intentions, and this is just for fun, then we can compare them. But if it’s anything more, … Then you’re dm reader.

    • Lady D says:

      Maybe giving comments on a gossip website more power than they actually have?

  12. audfhauio says:

    Aww. I have a real weakness for being called cute nicknames by old dudes that would fit in a 1930s screwball comedy. Like Humphrey Bogart calling Lauren Bacall “Kid”. I know that makes me a bad feminist and all, but I really like that Chuck gave her a nickname like that. 🙂

    • Lala says:

      And “Baby”…for Bogie…off the screen…AND on…Lauren was always…his “Baby”!!!!

    • Giddy says:

      The day my crotchety father in law said that he was going to start calling me “worthless” I knew I had it made. My grandfather didn’t give me a nickname, but did give one to my husband. “Lucky”. Those two names were given with love and I treasure the memory.

  13. mint says:

    Maybe Kate is just not into Ascot? Is it required of her to attend?
    Also it is known that she has a horse allergy,

    • Surly Gale says:

      I came here to say that, also. She has to load up on antihistimines. I read that somewhere when they were in school, if I recall….

    • Belluga says:

      I don’t think they get that close to the horses, do they? Maybe TQ and Anne do because they’re horse fans, but most of the would be away from the action, I would have thought.

      I think it’s more of an ‘attendance expected, but not required’ event for the royals. There’s probably not an issue with her not going, but as it’s one of the big royal days out in the calendar, not going for several years when you don’t have clashing commitments might a gentle nudge.

    • Tommy says:

      Exactly. Horses and horse racing aren’t for everyone —you could not PAY me to go to Ascot. BORING. To each their own.

    • Megan says:

      I don’t get the sense William or Harry are racing fans. They never seem to be in the photos of the BRF cheering on horses.

    • All About Eve says:

      I don’t think it’s a requirement that royals always have to attend Ascot. Horse racing is the Queen’s passion but it doesn’t mean that everyone in the family has to take to it too! In fact a criticism I have of the Queen is that outside of her horses she doesn’t show much interest in anything else! We saw how bored she looked at the 2012 Olympics!

      Football (soccer), rugby, wimbledon are very popular with the masses in the UK but I can’t remember the last time the Queen attended one of them.

    • notasugarhere says:

      First we had the person claiming Kate had told them she had a horse allergy.

      Then we had Kate denying it.

      She had no problem attending other horse events, like the pap stroll event at the horse trials a couple weeks ago and the polo event last week.

      At Ascot, it isn’t like you’re up close and personal with the horses. W&K didn’t go to Ascot because they didn’t want to, not because of any (or no) horse allergy.

      • Ghaia says:

        Actually according to KP Twitter William was in Liverpool for two work appointments yesterday. Good reason to not be at Ascot.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Where did I mention anything about this year at Ascot? I’m referring to the alleged horse allergy and how it doesn’t stop her from being around horses when she wants to be. She didn’t show up at Ascot until several years into their marriage, and kids cannot be used as excuses for the first two years.

        But gee, are you under the impression that Kate isn’t welcome among the royals unless William is with her?

    • Masamf says:

      Im gonna play devil’s advocate here. Maybe the reason Meg went was because she had been chosen to present a trophy, I don’t know. Maybe same honor was not bestowed on Kate and she saw no reason to go. The RF are doing a lot of firsts with Meghan you know! Maybe, both Kate and Meg will soon get their Royal Orders!

    • magnoliarose says:

      Kate said she isn’t allergic to horses and has been to horse events. SHE WAS JUST AT A POLO MATCH!
      ???

  14. Melania says:

    I loved all the Meghan-Prince Harry PDA. I saw many cute pics.

  15. Digital Unicorn says:

    I think it’s great he’s given her a nickname, esp so soon after the wedding. But it fits, she is tough and given her family and former career she had to be to survive.

    As for Katie Keen not going to Ascot initially, its been said she’s allergic to horses and/or isn’t into them. I’ve had several opportunities to go to Ascot but don’t as am not into horses and would find it boring plus am not one to bet/gamble.

    • Lizabeth says:

      Many say Kate isn’t allergic to horses so we can’t assume she is. Kate herself has said she’s not interested in horses (when saying she would still try to encourage Charlotte’s supposed passion) so I assume it’s true she’s not interested. I don’t buy allergies as a reason not to go to the Ascot. She’s had no problem attending Will’s polo games regularly even going back to the girlfriend yrs. And she was papped with the children a few weeks ago at a horse event in Norfolk. I think she just didn’t want to go to the Ascot or maybe Will didn’t. It’s idiotic to say it was because of royal offspring they didn’t yet have. And even after they had children, it’s ONE day out of the whole year, a day that means a lot to the Queen. If they didn’t want to go, fine, that’s between them and the Queen who invited them year after year, but not going wasn’t for a medical reason or because they were making some great parental sacrifice.

      • Nic919 says:

        And the two times she did attend she wore god awful lace monstrosities so really we don’t need to see that again.

      • Ghaia says:

        William was in Liverpool representing BRF yesterday opening some business fest and a center for young persons at risk of suicide. Don’t think TQ minds him being absent for work.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Ghaia, that doesn’t have much to do with this thread. People are discussing why W&K didn’t show up to Ascot for years. The horse allergy has been proven to be no excuse, kids couldn’t be excuses for the first two years because they didn’t have any.

        First year of marriage, Meghan is at Ascot.

        Kate wasn’t at Ascot until years after their wedding.

    • notasugarhere says:

      She had no problem attending polo for years, going to the horse trials with the kids to get papped a couple weeks ago, and again at polo recently.

      The “horse allergy” doesn’t seem to stop her from doing things she wants, only doing things she doesn’t want. Just like the “HG” doesn’t stop her from vacationing, only stops her from working.

  16. HadleyB says:

    Her face looks so different from her wedding day… she’s wearing more makeup but it looks puffy? I am not sure what it is… it’s not the makeup but something is different.

    She hasn’t put on weight that I can tell, I can’t put my finger on it.

    • Surly Gale says:

      preggers?

    • Jag says:

      Not putting words in your mouth, but you seem to be dancing around the word fillers, When I look at her face it looks thinner.

      • HadleyB says:

        No, not fillers… If I was going to say anything I would say booze face but I don’t think she has a drinking problem. Maybe it’s a medical issue or she started some meds.

    • Elisa says:

      hormones? two of my friends had to take them to get pregnant, and both looked a bit bloated. One friend was only 30… it took her a year to get pregnant, and she said she will never do it again because of all the side-effects (she had crazy mood-swings).

    • ValiantlyVarnished says:

      There is literally nothing puffy about her face. And she did lose weight right before the wedding which was probably due to stress and happens to a lot of brides. It would make sense thaf a month after she would have put back on the bit of weight she lost.

    • minx says:

      I’m really not seeing puffiness at all.

    • Deedee says:

      Nope. Not puffy. Her makeup looks lovely.

    • Jessica says:

      Her face doesn’t look bigger; I’m not seeing what you are.

    • Sally says:

      Darker eyebrows and Botox coupled with weight loss and a tan.

      • Lizabeth says:

        How would any of those things make her face look fuller @Sally? Most you mention like a tan and weight loss would probably make it look thinner. And maybe I don’t understand how Botox works but how would that produce a fuller face? (I don’t see the fullness others are speaking of anyway.)

    • notasugarhere says:

      Such a popular theme on tumblr and other hate blogs. As if the unhappy teens and twentysomethings still think he married her because she “tricked him with a pregnancy”.

      • Liberty says:

        Lol, it is like royal Twilight!

        She looks totally fine and like herself, in my opinion.

        I also saw the dress in motion in a video today, and now like it more than I did yesterday; it looked stiff around the collar in the stills.

    • Masamf says:

      Meh, her face looks exactly the same, if not thinner. I know how women are always accused to botoxing, themselves but Meghan doesn’t seem to be botoxing in any way shape or form, her face is thinner. I guess the botox thing is a subtle way to diss women etc, but this “her face is fuller” is just reaching.

  17. Guest says:

    “Kate’s presence was some kind of birthday present” 🤣🤣🤣

  18. Jag says:

    There are wrinkles in the Duchess of Cornwall coat, now she is going have to start looking for material, that dont wrinkle, or she is joing Meghan in solidarity with wrinkles.

    • sass says:

      I have been looking at past pics of Diana too and there are lots of wrinkles. What a let down.

  19. pattieboyd says:

    Meghan looks lovely. Except for the hem of the dress. It looks like she caught her heel in it.

  20. Elisa says:

    She looks lovely from the neck upwards, I love the hat, the hair, the make-up and her smile.
    The dress looks nice from the side, but is underwhelming from the front (buttons! the material & embroidery looks cheap) and the belt is just a big NO.

  21. minx says:

    Sorry, I still think her fab hat deserved a chic dress, and that wasn’t it.

  22. Thatsallfolks says:

    Yes, Tungsten is such a lovely nickname. I can see the affection there. 🙄

    • Carey says:

      I thought it was endearing and illustrates his respect for her. But I’m married to an engineer, so I’d be awww’ing if he nicknamed me after a strong metal, lol.

  23. Sedanos says:

    Meghan does look great. I mean, except for her eyes. Her eyes are fine for what they are, but I really expected her to do something different with them. Not to compare her to Kate, but Kate already has two eyes. Is it too much to ask Meghan to be a little original, to a least try for a third. I guess she’s not the revolutionary we all expected her to be.

  24. Ally says:

    I really have high hopes for Meghan. And I think Kate is very dull.
    But come on. Everyone else is doing this so I have to as well, is an argument that shouldn’t leave third grade. Comparing these women at every turn and setting up camps and loyalists is ridiculous, no matter who else is doing it.

  25. Keira aka coconut says:

    I really wanted MM’s Ascitvdress to have a bit of bling, say, some pearls at the neck.

  26. Amelie says:

    There are aspects to the dress that I like and that I don’t like. It looks very flowy and comfortable and seems like the perfect summery dress and I like that “Tinkerbell” hemline. Things I don’t like: the buttons and not sure about the belt. Also it really does look like a shirtdress and I am not a fan of shirtdresses on anyone. But the more I look at the dress, the more I like it.

    I love how the Queen always seems to smile around Meghan. I’m sure the Queen smiles a lot but she is usually stoic and serious looking. She really seems to like her.

  27. aquarius64 says:

    Badge gate is so ridiculous. As mentioned up thread on Tom Sr, I think he sees Charles as a threat. Meghan gets along well with Charles and Sr and Meghan have phone conversations. Sr will really be insecure when Harry and Meghan’s children come. He will see the future King of England who can give those children pratically everything as competition for Grandpa.

    • Sophia's side eye says:

      I’m sure you’re probably right. But, TM should have kept his mouth shut if he wanted to be a part of their lives going forward. Although, he doesn’t seem to have much of a relationship with his other grandchildren so I don’t know why Meghan’s kids would be any different, other than the obvious fact that they will be part of the royal family.

    • PrincessK says:

      We have not heard the last from Markle Snr, he is supposed to have in storage tons of photos of Meghan growing up, which he is probably saving for his next rainy day, which will probably come soon.

  28. SV says:

    If the tungsten nickname is true I wouldn’t be surprised. Others have commented about Meghan’s emotional stability. Tom Bradby a former Royal reporter and now news anchor who Harry brought in to speak with Meghan about the crazy media interest after news of the relationship broke has commented a number of times with admiration for Meghan’s Zen like qualities and how her presence also calms down a restless and emotional Harry.

    • Lahdidahbaby says:

      I like this comment, and like the thought of Meghan being that positive and calming influence on Harry.

  29. ladida says:

    I love the My Fair Lady Cosplay #theatergeekforever and I know Meghan is too.

    • Mimi says:

      Hadn’t read through the thread when I said something similar below about the obvious cosplay.

  30. Olive says:

    that “Tungsten” story spells Meghan’s first name two different ways in the same paragraph. Maybe she should wear a name tag under people figure out how to correctly spell her name 😉

  31. Anastasia says:

    I think part of it is that Meghan actually tries to have a relationship with Charles and TQ and Camilla. I don’t think Kate puts much effort in, and so she isn’t as close with them. It’s true Charles always wanted a daughter, and it *might* be true he’s a bit closer to Harry than Will, so this was going to be a natural fit.

    And I don’t know, I’m just guessing here, but I can see Meghan having about 10 times the personality of Kate.

    The only reason I’m comparing them is to understand the differences in why Charles, Camilla, and TQ have taken so warmly to Meghan versus their business like relationship with Kate. I think Meghan is probably a warmer person to begin with.

    Also hasn’t it been said for years that Harry is one of TQ’s favorite grandkids? Maybe she doesn’t have *A* favorite, but he’s way up there?

    • All About Eve says:

      How do we know what kind of relationship Meghan & Kate have with the rest of the family? Are we simply basing it on whether they are smiling and laughing together in public? There are countless of pictures that shows royals smiling & being friendly to each other! After all what else are they supposed to do, these people are professionals at putting up a facade in public!

      Not long ago many were saying that W&K don’t interact with the rest of the family, and then just the other day we saw them on a day out with their kids and Peter Philips family, and everyone looked comfortable & playful around each other. The fact is we don’t know how often these people interact behind closed doors or what the true nature of their relationship is. We can’t just make assumptions that people are not close purely because we don’t often see them out in public together.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Honestly, a group of kids will play even if they’ve never seen each other before.

      • notasugarhere says:

        I worked with little kids for a decade. They play with all the other kids around, whether or not they know them.

      • magnoliarose says:

        It isn’t false. I take my children to parks and they have traveled with me and found friends easily. Children don’t filter out people like adults do and they play with each other with no strings attached or real expectations.
        Photos speak volumes and there is no way on earth anyone can claim Charles is close to the Cambridges. He does not publicly interact with them and if he does it is with William and that is even scant.
        I am sure there are reasons but it is right there on display.

      • Masamf says:

        @All About Eve, I’m assuming you know nothing about kids. And yes, ITA with Nota and Magnolia.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Or you can choose to accept that nothing you put forward proves they spend a lot of time with the Windsor side. Your opinion is, these photos show they do. My opinion is, these photos don’t prove that as, from my experience with little kids, they’ll play with anyone.

    • notasugarhere says:

      William kept Kate away from his family (and his family away from Kate?) for a decade. When surprised by their engagement announcement Harry said, “I’m looking forward to getting to know her”. William is a Middleton.

      Harry mentioned in their engagement interview how much he planned and scheduled so she could spend time with the people that matter to him when she was in the UK.

      Very different approaches. Result is, Meghan appears comfortable around many members of Harry’s family and they look happy to have her around.

      • notasugarhere says:

        One skiing vacation does not a relationship make. The one where they were outed as a couple and ostracised Arthur Edwards for a while because he caught them. Let’s ignore the royals behavior, patterns, and own words for that time, is that the idea?

        Harry himself admitted to not knowing her. At least once she was thrown out of the royal enclosure at an event because she wasn’t welcome there (either with or without William). She wasn’t at royal family events or vacations prior to the engagement (unlike Sophie, Autumn, and Mike who were all invited and welcomed before engagements even to Balmoral). She only met the Queen by accident, when William didn’t care enough about her to introduce her to his grandmother himself. He chose Jecca over her in that moment, but that’s nothing new.

        William dithered for a decade about Kate, kept cheating on her, kept dumping her, kept chasing other women. She was his backup plan, and he kept the backup plan away from his family until he finally caved and married her.

        Harry chose to introduce his choice to the important people in his life (father, grandmother, friends, cousins, charity workers) from the beginning.

        Very different approaches from the two brothers.

      • notasugarhere says:

        AAE, I’m pointing out that one skiing trip (about which William complained about the photos) doesn’t balance out all the other things I mention. He didn’t have her around his family for that decade, or you’d have had plenty of other examples to bring forward. She wasn’t brought to family events with the Windsors, she wasn’t hanging with Charles and Harry, she wasn’t at Sandringham, she wasn’t at Balmoral – like the others I mentioned were. He chose to be with her with her family, but not have her with him around his family.

      • perplexed says:

        If William is a Middleton now, does it matter? It’s not like they’re such horrible people. Maybe I’ve softened towards them after seeing MM’s dad, sister and brother. Maybe Harry was inspired to bring her closer to his family since clearly her own family doesn’t have her back. Considering what her family is like, the onus probably should be on Harry to bring her closer to his since her wacko family makes the royals look warm and sappy like a Hallmark greeting card.

      • magnoliarose says:

        I don’t think of William as much Middleton as I think William does what he wants. I think he makes sure his life is set up to suit him. But I have always believed he prefers people of his own class most of all because that is who he is and spends as much time with his peers as possible.

      • Lizabeth says:

        I think if W&K were close to Charles after 7+ yrs of marriage we’d have photos of W&K interacting in a natural manner with him. And so far as I know we really don’t or at least we don’t have anything like what we see with Charles and H&M. And we’d have at least one photo of Charles interacting with W&K’s children. Some say Charles doesn’t do well with small children but he did quite well with his sons when they were small. AND we’ve seen photos of Charles interacting with Camilla’s grandchildren.

      • notasugarhere says:

        The grifters making money off child labour, inappropriate kid costumes, and royal-related party tat? Not sure why that would be a good thing for William to be like them. William chose to be with a family that treats him like a fairy tale king, makes him the center of attention, coddles him endlessly, lets him get away with being an overgrown adolescent, and pays for all his vacations. Vs his birth family that pays for luxury roof over his head but wants him to work in exchange.

    • OneLumpOrTwo says:

      The idea that kate doesn’t have a warm relationship with Charles, TQ and the rest of the BRF is simply not true. None of the BRF are acting any differently with Meghan than they always have with Kate. If you search pictures of the BRF and Kate, specifically, Charles and TQ, you will see numerous pictures of them all getting along fabulously. Including pictures of Charles kissing Kate on the cheek.

      Kate was never kept from the BRF for a decade, I have no idea where that nonsense is coming from. It’s been documented that she has hunting trips, ski trips and formal and informal events with the BRF well before they were married.

  32. All About Eve says:

    “If OG Duchess of Buttons Kate had chosen this dress, she would have bespoke’d the crap out of it and replaced the small buttons with giant, shiny buttons.”

    I’m pretty sure the Givenchy dress that Meghan is wearing is also bespoke. In my opinion there is also too much going on with this dress with the buttons all down the front, the lace embroidery, the belt, and the asymmetrical hemline.

  33. Ghaia says:

    I still really don’t like the dress. I like the cut. I think it would be great without the weird hemline and the embroidery. And hiding the embroidery underneath the belt is just really bizarre.

    • Sally says:

      That belt should have been on her bland wedding dress instead.

      • sass says:

        If the belt wasn’t on there you would be complaining about how she needs a belt. She looked amazing and i like her elegant simplicity.

  34. TaniaOG says:

    For the record, tungsten filament is used to light up light bulbs. As in, she lights up a room.

  35. HyacinthBucket says:

    This dress and hat look so „Agatha Christie“ and I love it.

  36. Natalia says:

    Love this whole outfit, but I agree navy blue instead of black would have been best. And she’s wearing the bra padding I felt she should have worn with her wedding dress.

    I don’t understand why there keep being misses when she has all kinds of advice and protocol to follow. Whatever it’s not a big deal I certainly don’t hold it against her.

  37. Chrissy says:

    Is there some sort of Princess School they attend that tells them they MUST wear too much eyeliner and the wrong shade of blush and lipstick??? Her blush is hurting me. Someone please remind Meghan that she is a really pretty woman who doesn’t need that shitty makeup job. It is driving me up a wall!!

  38. Mimi says:

    It’s crazy how much Meghan’s looks for these BRF events are such a struggle when Autumn Phillips is always impeccably dressed and on a much smaller budget, I would assume. She was not born into this world either but manages to look fashionable while also letting her personality shine through. I’m more of a Meghan defender than a fan but I’ve been so puzzled by some of her recent sartorial choices. It feels like she’s doing some kind of Audrey Hepburn cosplay since the wedding and it doesn’t suit her.

    • Masamf says:

      Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Some might not like Meghan’s outfits but there are many that agree with me that she hit it right outta the park at Ascots. The thing is, people on this site are so hard to please as a lot of criticisms are dependent on people’s feelings toward Meghan or Kate. There are those that hate Meghan (or Kate) that regardless of what she wears, they’ll always find fault with it. Personally, except for the last Oscar DLR dress and the Emilia dress at at Anzac, I love the rest of Meghan’s outfits embroidery and all. I have no issues with her makeup either, as when you watch the videos, her freckles are clearly visible, if her freckles are visible, it tells me there is minimal makeup. But she has been dissed here for heavy makeup etc, I just RME and move it along.

    • notasugarhere says:

      I like Autumn but her outfits at Ascot leave much to be desired. She often appears to be in costume instead of clothing. She’s much better in her casual jeans and polo style.

    • Jessica says:

      What kind of comment is this?

  39. perplexed says:

    Maybe darker lipstick suited her better. That’s my useless 2 cents.

  40. Anare says:

    I would not poke holes in that Givenchy dress if I was told I could never attend Ascot again.

  41. Tina says:

    I don’t blame royals for not wanting to go as it would be horrible to be observed like a fish in a bowl, but for ordinary punters, Royal Ascot is a blast. The food is good, everyone drinks a LOT, the fashion watching is excellent and at regular intervals there are some of the finest horse races in the world. The only downside for me is wearing a hat all day. I am not a natural hat-wearer.