Meghan Markle, Duchess Kate & the other royals walked to church on Christmas

The British Royal family arrive at Sandringham to celebrate Christmas Day

So I won’t be accused of favoritism, let me just say at the onset that I didn’t like what Meghan Markle OR the Duchess of Cambridge wore to the big Christmas Day pap-walk. I thought they both chose terrible coats. I’m used to not-liking Kate’s coats, but I had such high hopes for Meghan. Oh, well. These are photos from the big royal walk to St, Mary Magdalene church at Sandringham. Apparently, thousands of well-wishers lined the path, hoping to get a glimpse of Meghan specifically. The royals knew that this was their big money shot: Meghan interacting with royal family members other than Harry. They saved the shots of Meg interacting with Camilla and Queen Elizabeth, but Prince Philip was in the same frame as Meghan in many photos, because he was walking just ahead of her.

The big money shot was Kate and Meghan together, and they did walk together, with Harry and William walking on the other side of their ladies. You know the positioning was worked out ahead of time. Neither woman shot daggers at the other, and both seemed smiley and happy. Meghan and Harry are reportedly staying at Anmer Hall with the Cambridges, so Meg and Kate have probably gotten to know each other a bit better over the holiday.

For the big church stroll, Meghan wore an expensive ensemble. The tan coat is from Canadian fashion house Sentaler, at a cost of $1295. She wore Stuart Weitzman boots ($795) in brown goatskin leather, and a Chloe purse costing $1550. She also wore Maison Birks diamond earrings costing $7K. Of the entire ensemble, I would imagine she’ll get the most use out of the earrings. The hat, on the other hand… like, I don’t hate the hat. I loathe the coat, but I’m okay with the hat. But the hat was widely discussed in the British media as being, like, too chocolatey? I think that shade of brown suits Meghan more than the tan shade of the coat.

Meanwhile, Kate wore a $3500 MiuMiu tartan coat with a fuzzy collar and shiny gold buttons. The material looks crazy-stiff, like she’s wearing a scotchgarded Christmas-tree skirt. She chose this because of the buttons, I know that for a fact. She paired the coat with a Mulberry clutch, Tod’s pumps and some Kiki McDonough citrine earrings she’s worn several times before.

All in all, I think this whole thing was probably pretty successful. I look forward to many joint appearances to come with Meg and Kate’s Annual Ugly Coat Competition.

The British Royal family arrive at Sandringham to celebrate Christmas Day

The British Royal family arrive at Sandringham to celebrate Christmas Day

The British Royal family arrive at Sandringham to celebrate Christmas Day

The British Royal family arrive at Sandringham to celebrate Christmas Day

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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538 Responses to “Meghan Markle, Duchess Kate & the other royals walked to church on Christmas”

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  1. Selma says:

    These hats of Kate & Meghan look ridiculous, all this money and no taste. Meghan’s hat looks like a dog made p#o on her

    • Beth says:

      +100 those hats are hideous. I’m not sure, but wearing strange hats must a regular thing for the British or the BRF. What a huge waste of money these ugly hats are

      • HIDI says:

        its not that strange ,though ,it looks like leather ribbon to me ,fixed to the side of her hat
        its a goodo .i think ,certainly not a HUGE WASTE OF MONEY since it has to be in harmony with the surrounding and the CHURCH ATMOSPHERE

    • Pumpkin (formally soup, pie) says:

      I can’t see the poop. I tried. I like that hat.

      • Betsy says:

        Me too. I don’t like the color brown, but the shape is very sophisticated.

      • HeidiM says:

        I like it too. And I like her coat.

      • Ravensdaughter says:

        +1. It’s just a beret with some fuss on it (because it has to play with the fussy Windsors).

      • Snazzy says:

        @heidim Me too! I like the coat! I would totally wear that. The boots too

      • notasugarhere says:

        I like the hat, although I recognize most hats they wear are silly in general. I’d have liked the look more if she wore a low side bun.

      • Bettyrose says:

        I love both outfits, coats, hats, boots and all. Perfect cozy winter looks. I mean, I could reproduce those looks for $100 at Ross, but silly prices aside, I’d call these looks a success.

      • island_girl says:

        Same. I think she looks lovely.

      • FLORC says:

        Can sparkles have no buttons? Kate keeps the kingdom’s supply of buttons.

      • Liberty says:

        Florc, I love you. “Can she have no butttons?”

        I liked Meghan’s coat, but I have seen it worn without the hat. I don’t hate the hat on its own, but apparently its super power is being a coat killer. It is a more of a suit hat, IMO. But what I noticed was that MM and PH seemed pointedly dressed in a muted way (bleh brown, shhhh gray/blue) to allow William and Kate to be the showy holiday pair.

        Kate dresses like an American Girl doll, as someone here has noted a few times. I can easily imagine her food-shop-wrapping-paper coat on a three year old in a movie from the 1950s…. Here again, I think she would look better in a coat like MM’s.

    • Frida_K says:

      I don’t see poop here. To me, it looks like they tried to coordinate a palette that worked with his hair. No kidding! If you look at the picture in which they are speaking to the elderly woman in the wheelchair, the purse and the hat all seem to sort of bounce off his hair color in an amusing/funny way.

      I don’t think her coat is interesting at all and the hat is meh. I do like the purse though.

      🙂

    • Midigo says:

      Right! Besides, MM should know you never, ever, wear a tan / brown combination for formal occasions, especially when your know that your pics will be massively published worldwide.

      • Pansy says:

        I would never have known that! No snark here at all, but do you think that’s a cultural difference? I’m American and would venture to say Americans, especially younger generations, don’t know a lot of rules like that. We have the white shoes only between Easter and Labor Day thing and wear black to funerals, but that’s about it….

      • Bettyrose says:

        I’m confused. Brown and tan are warm colors. Isn’t that what you want in cold gloony climates?

      • LAK says:

        I don’t know about rules, but i didn’t like these shades of Brown on MM.

        And i hate the hat. It looks too big for her. Ditto the boots.

      • Midigo says:

        Bettyrose
        Sure, you want them for walking the dog in the countryside, not for your first official Christmas pap-walk with the Queen and the entire Royal Family followed by the official Royal Christmas Lunch.
        As they say : no brown in town.
        But If you really want a camel coat, you should pair it with black or even burgundy accessories, not with three different shades of mid-brown.

      • Midigo says:

        LAK
        Exactly, brown doen’t compliment MM.
        That’s why rules exist. Because that palette doesn’t compliment most women. And certainly it doesn’t add glamour or elegance or sophistication. Besides it’s particularly dull, not something you want to wear for a Christmas Day with the Royal Family and if you are a gorgeous woman in your 30s. And in particular if you choose to wear a bathrobe-style coat (ugh!).

      • LadyT says:

        She’s lovely but tan/brown is casual and is not a good choice for Christmas Day. It wasn’t even a rich dark brown or a shade that complimented her pretty self. I would have put her in teal or burgundy.

      • Tiffany :) says:

        “As they say : no brown in town”

        I have thankfully never heard that in my entire life.

        People should wear whatever color they like. Especially with brown, it is color of elegant trench coats, camel coats, leather coats and boots.

      • Midigo says:

        Tiffany
        “People should wear whatever color they like”.
        Based on this simple statement why are we here making comments? She liked that outfit. That’s it. The end of gossip.
        Besides. I said the palette is dull and unfit for the occasion.
        Never said that a camel coat combined differently (I mentioned black or burgundy) is always a no- no.

      • Tiffany :) says:

        It’s not that I think people shouldn’t have opinions on fashion, that is part of the fun. I just side-eye “rules” that seem outdated and overly constrictive. Meghan is a young woman, no wonder she doesn’t play by these stodgy rules.

      • Megan says:

        It looks like she tried to dress up a causal coat, bag, and boots with a fancy hat. I am not feeling this look at all.

      • Midigo says:

        Tiffany
        It’s ok for me when you break rules to look young, fresh, stilish, elegant and / or glamorous. You need some style and to know exactly what compliments you, though.
        In this case, as a young woman, she chose to wear a granny palette: the result is boring at best. And outdated. And she doesn’t look young nor fresh nor particularly elegant. Next time it will be better for her to stick to stodgy old rules.

      • notasugarhere says:

        It certainly isn’t a forbidden palette. Beatrice, Eugenie, Sophie, Zara, Autumn have all worn cream, tan, or brown to this event at least once in the past.

      • perplexed says:

        Is brown actually not allowed? I’m so confused — I thought that was what professional women wore. I don’t even think of brown or beige as casual — I figured you wear it when you’re a professional woman. Whether it’s flattering is a different story. But I never thought of brown or beige as unacceptable (especially since I saw Carolyn Bessette wore it and she’s considered an icon of sorts. I could have sworn I saw Diana in beige at times too).

      • Midigo says:

        Perplexed
        Of course it’s allowed. If you want a granny look you can always count on that combo. It’s not forbidden.
        Of course you mention Bessette. However I remember she wore camel AND black with a magnificent pair of brown boots in a completely different outfit, or rusty-colored trousers again with black. She wore tan trench coats with denim or black trousers. Different fabrics, different outfits, different situations. Not for official public engagements, though. She was an icon and she knew exactly how to dress appropriately for any specific situation. Now, are we sure Bessette would have worn a tan bathrobe-coat with a mud-colored hat, mid brown boots and a purse in a different mid-brown shade (not to mention the Gloves). If yes (I doubt it) would it have been her first choice for a Christmas Day with QEII?

      • Midigo says:

        Tuxcat 5
        Great you made some research. It’s a pity meghan didn’t do the same. She would have realized that tan/brown combination and even a brown / brown combination is a perfect recipe for a granny look. Especially if you choose to wear a bathrobe with boots and not a perfectly fitting bespoke coat.

        Never/ever wear tan / brown for formal events in particular when photo-ops and video recording are expected.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Again, Beatrice, Eugenie, Sophie, Zara, Autumn have all worn combinations of cream, tan, or brown to this event at least once in the past. The “granny” palette in this family appears to be bright orange and bright pink – at least for Christmas this year.

      • Bettyrose says:

        I totally get it, but I’m sure she was heavily counseled on this fashion choice. No way she went rogue. I’m guessing “brown in town” is gaining acceptance – at least when the goal is to be formal but subdued (read, not upstaging Kate).

      • lokigal says:

        agreed. i dont know why her stylist seem to be going for this horrid mismatched look for both harry and meghan. surely a quick google of the Firm’s top ladies dress looks for the past few christmases would have given her a good idea of an appropriate formal church look. not that she needed to go full christmas themed wrapper/blanket like kate.

        the browns dont look bad, just the combination of brown and everything being loosely rumpled casual especially when next to Harry. she is petite and she should own it, instead of being hiddne in swathes of cloth. she needs better fitted or structured coats or boots. right now she looks like she is a girl playing dress up in her mum’s clothes.
        i wish she’d gone for green or any other jewel or winter colours if she wanted to avoid burgundy comparisons with kate’s previous look. or a opt for a weave to break the brown on brown on brown bathrobe look

      • Princessk says:

        I thought Meghan was a triumph. Ms Markle is a beauty and would look stunning in a potato sack, so who cares!

        Quite clearly Meghan chose subtle shades of brown so she was not accused of trying to steal the show by wearing bright colours. The poor gal will always be damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t by the press, but this future princess will have all the colours of the rainbow to play with in the future.

        But of course Meghan without trying stole the show, she has so much allure, and I think the crowds were chanting, ‘Meghan! Meghan!’. Harry is a lucky man.

      • Marr says:

        Tan, cream, beige, brown, taupe etc. combinations aren’t granny territory anymore and haven’t been for a couple of years now. I call it the Kanye/Rihanna effect.

      • Tina says:

        “Town” in this parlance means London. “No brown in town” means that you shouldn’t wear brown shoes in London. It’s frowned upon in the City and is one of those invisible class signifiers that working class and BAME people come up against.

    • K0n4y says:

      ^^^this..

      Kate and Meghan’s hats are not flattering. It also looks like everyone else (aside from the Queen) dress fairly normal for stuffy royals – they both stick out and not in a good way. I’m not sure why there is a need for Meghan to carry a handbag everywhere she goes either.

      • Tourmaline says:

        The Queen and Camilla were both carrying black handbags.

        Countess of Wessex had a sort of outre outfit on.

      • Imqrious2 says:

        I actually don’t mind the hats. Kate looks properly wintry/Christmasy-though I wish for ONE pregnancy, she’d get actual maternity clothes so it fit her properly! Those buttons strain! Meg, on the other hand…I like the coat and hat, just not in those colors, and especially not for this occasion. She also looked quite nervous at times (who wouldn’t in that crowd!), esp. before the curtsey. Poor thing also looks like she’s lost weight, that or her contour/blusher was on too thick.

        But, most importantly, they all looked very happy together, and that’s most important.

      • Tessy says:

        Most women carry handbags don’t they?

        I like the coat and boots, not the hat but then most of the royal hats are rather silly. She should have worn a proper wool toque and started a new trend.

    • Sherry says:

      The hats were horrid. I liked everything else about Meghan’s outfit except for the hat.

      One thing that struck me in seeing them all together was just how tiny Meghan is!

      • Stef Leppard says:

        I like Meghan’s look except the hat is fug and I’m not into the color scheme for Christmas morning. Kate’s outfit would have been more appropriate on Charlotte.

      • minx says:

        MM’s coat is too big on her.
        Even without the hat it’s not a win.

      • notasugarhere says:

        I think she’s small-boned like Rania and Letizia. The photo from the day of the announcement, with her lifting her hand, showed how tiny her wrists are.

      • Lahdidahbaby says:

        I think the reason Meghan’s tiny-ness was so apparent yesterday was that she wore a belted coat which was just all wrong on a woman with such a small frame and high waist…AND she keeps wearing slouchy boots that gather at her ankles — which I think she does to camouflage the straightness and thinness of her lower legs, but it has the opposite effect.

        A sleeker, more fitted line would have served her much better with both coat and boots. As it was, her clothes were wearing her, rather than the reverse. I thought her make-up was well done, though. She looked very pretty. And the color was nice on her, but it just didn’t seem to suit the Christmas-y occasion.

      • Wurstfingers says:

        Love everything but the silly hat on MM. But silly hats are a royal MUST, so… Whatever. I actually love that she chose lovely, earthy colors – elegant, yet understated and casual-ish.

        Don’t hate Kate’s coat either, it just looks like something a little girl would wear? I am so used to her rather matronly style, I don’t even know what to think of it.

        Also Queen in bright orange is everything!

      • Princessk says:

        Meghan is small. She has been described by people who have seen her up close as ‘petite, tiny and birdlike’.

    • The Original G says:

      P@@? How silly.

    • Felicia says:

      My first thought was that her hat looks like she’s wearing a button mushroom on her head. She’s a beautiful woman, but that hat is absolutely not flattering on her.

    • KiddVicious says:

      I like MM’s hat, coat, shoes, gloves, handbag. I’d wear them all. Not sure where I’d wear the hat, but I’d find a place. I love the muted colors, they work well on her.

      I also loved the Queen’s bright orange.

      As for Kate’s outfit, at least she can try again next year. And I’m surprised she and Will are holding hands, do they usually do that during the Christmas walk?

      • Elaine says:

        Agree, the ensemble worked perfectly for me. She looked so beautiful, she nearly brought a tear to my eye. Sob! Meghan so pretty 🙂

      • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

        I think her coat and bag are fantastic- I’d have them in a heartbeat, given the chance. The boots are okay, a bit too slouchy, and entirely the wrong color for that garnet velvet skirt ( or dress ) under the coat.
        That color combo is a no-no, IMO.

      • Princessk says:

        No, I don’t think W&K usually hold hands but with the warmth of love between H&M they just had to hold hands didn’t they?

      • Liberty says:

        PrincessK, we think alike. 🙂

      • Luce says:

        I don’t understand the constant nastiness toward Kate, and yes, if you Google it, W & K do in fact hold hands many times, including the last several times at this church walk. They aren’t all over each other, which most people in general are not and many of us find refreshing. Constant PDA does not necessarily correlate to happiness and vice versa, especially with “celebrity” types who are always aware of the camera.

    • Sojaschnitzel says:

      Happy to see that I am not the only one with the poo impression. What was she thinking? I mean, it is so obvious to me that all I can think of is that she did that on purpose, as some kind of joke or something.

      • Polly says:

        It does have an unfortunate resemblance to the poo emoji. I agree with previous poster that it would’ve been better in a burgundy or black. Both KM and MM picked ugly outfits for this occasion.

    • BCity says:

      HAHAHAHAHA!! I’m not mad at the outfit and she’s very cute, but the sheer THIRST that emanates from her is too damn much. I’m sure she’s a lovely person, but my nickname for her is Basic Cable and I’m very sorry for that 😂😂😂

      • homeslice says:

        I know. It’s very interesting. I see that too, the thirst. And did Harry look out of it?? Anyway I think Meghan is pretty, and I’m sure she’s nice etc…but everyone wants her to be this “thing” and she is just not gonna be.

      • babykitten says:

        You mean she’s not going to “shake up” the BRF, drag the monarchy into the 21st century, take on charity as well or better than Diana, turn Kate and William into hard workers, make Carole Middleton miserable, eclipse Kate as princess, and maybe help Harry become king himself, all while being a fashion icon?

        The expectations placed on her by her fans have to be overwhelming to her.

      • FLORC says:

        There’s no thirst. 1 instance of thirst like calling a pap or setting up a story please.

      • Princessk says:

        Can anyone explain what BCity is going on about, I just cannot fathom the meaning?

        Harry was not ‘out’ of it, he knew Meghan was nervous about her first public engagement with all members of the royal family, and he was concerned but after the service he looked very happy and relaxed during the walkabout. He was discussing with William on the steps which couple should take the left and right hand sides of the crowd.

      • BCity says:

        Wow, you guys take this…seriously!

        @PrincessK It was…a joke. Calm down. If struggling to “fathom” things is a regular problem for you, you should stop obsessing over complete strangers and go get a Master’s degree like the one I have. It helps.

      • jayem says:

        Ohmigod, I thought it was just me. Everyone is gushing and I just can’t help thinking she seems very much into the spectacle more than anything else. And that outfit is hideous. She was a fashion blogger?! And she doesn’t know not to wear 3 different shades of baby poop brown with a gigantic coat and ill-fitting boots?? Honey…no.

      • Princessk says:

        @BCity….you think you are the only one on here with a masters degree? Really? Some of the most vocal supporters of Meghan and the RF on here are deeply cerebral and erudite, and their posts are clear and easy to fathom.

      • Luce says:

        @BCity, I don’t get the need for everyone to make MM all that, either. I’m not even really a fan of the Royals as a whole, but it confuses me because most starlets who act like she has — very over the top gushy, going to news outlets, posting that banana or whatever on her Insta early on — all of that would normally generate a lot of snarkiness here, but MM is not only immune to it but elevated to this icon status. I don’t get it.

    • CeeCee says:

      Kate has had that hat for a long time. It’s a classic look. For once, she’s done just fine.

      I think Meghan would have looked great in ivory or warmer autumn tones.

  2. Cannibell says:

    The Chloe purse is amazing. Kate’s coat looks like a blanket, but hey, I’m about as far from royal as it gets, so whatever works, right? Also, I love that Queen Elizabeth went bright.

    Happy Boxing Day, everyone!

    • African Sun says:

      QE2 wasn’t going to me out done by MM. It was a super bright shade of orange her outfit but I love it.

      • Ennie says:

        The queen dresses usually in bright colors so she is easily seen from afar by everyone. I think she is great.

    • Beluga says:

      I agree, I love the purse.

      And I’m going to have to disagree with Kaiser and say I like the coat too. I don’t love it – or would have been more chic if it had been a bit more streamlined and less blankets – but it looks nice and cosy. I’d wear it.

    • magnoliarose says:

      The purse is nice but not the coat, it is too large, and I don’t like the hat. The boots are ok, but they would have looked better with a different coat. Where is Burberry? Has neither of them heard of Burberry? I have heard of Burberry. Burberry. (whispered across the pond)

      Breakdown: Meghan A Study in Brown
      MM boots needed a more streamlined coat in another color with a stiffer material. Or keep the camel but with darker boots. Camel coats are classics and the one my grandmother bought me when I was 16 I still wear, and it is still stylish after nearly 20 years. It is an investment piece but not this one. I don’t care for more than one slouchy item on a body.
      The belted trench look is better with a lighter fall or spring fabric where the bunched material becomes part of the detail.
      To wear so much brown some apparent differences in texture, materials, and lines look better because of the muted color.
      Conclusion: Her California lack of winter style is showing. I doubt she was worried about photo friendly winter clothing in Canada. Californians often resist winter clothing. Not terrible but we have work to do.

      Breakdown: Kate The Lifesize Christmas Doll
      What is there to say. She manages to make Miu Miu look basic and tired. Another coat as a dress with tights like a giant four-year-old in heels. I like tartan. Some of my best friends are Scottish, but the Russianesque hat reminds me of my relatives in the 80s.

      Good stuff: Her Majesty looked great as did Camilla. The older ladies saved the fashion parade. Well done Cams.
      In the video, you could see Kate say something to Meghan that seemed like reassurance which was nice. Kate looked happier than usual and more genuine as if she was actually enjoying herself. William told Harry to button his damn coat. Lol MM sometimes looked terrified which I understand, and Kate again seemed to say something reassuring. I choose to think they had a lovely time and Kate ALWAYS looks happier when she isn’t alone with Prince Dour.

      • Chrissy says:

        I think Kate looks so happy because Willnot is actually holding her hand for a change. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them hold hands. Usually he looks like he’s ignoring her. Kate’s coat looks ridiculous and, for the 3000 pounds, even more so. When else could she wear that tree skirt except at Christmas time? I’m giving MM a break here because she’s totally new at this whole parade thing with the not-quite-in-laws and she needs to find her groove. I love the handbag the most but even Harry looks mismatched (and like he’s freezing too), so he’s no help. MM will grow into her role IMO.

      • Honey says:

        MM: I’m mostly inclined toward agreeing with all you wrote. I love the purse but only like everything else. I’m still deciding on the hat. It seems to swallow her head. Like it’s too big g and floats around on her head or something. MM almost looks a bit too muted brown and beige—even her makeup, which I don’t usually look at on people.

        I also enlarged the pic. She is wearing a nice deep burgundy velvety looking skirt or dress. A coat of that deep of a color would have looked better on her instead of being all swaddled in beige.

        Kate: Agree. No further comment.

      • Lama Bean says:

        MM’s boots are annoying the hell out of me for several reasons, the main one being the effect of her skinny calves wrapped in chocolate under a coat that hits right at her skinny calves.

        Also WTF is Harry wearing?

      • Olenna says:

        Totally agree with your comments, magnoliarose. Meghan has a short waist and long but thin legs. Basically, her proportions are the exact opposites of Katie’s. Her coats should fit to lengthen her waist and be shortened to match her average height. She should buy boots specifically made for narrow calves. There are good brands out there like one of Katie’s favorite, Aquatalia, that would fit better. Hat-wise, if you’re going for elegant or sophisticated, wear one that compliments the shape of your face and hairstyle. If you just want attention or are going for the outrageous, it doesn’t matter. Meghan’s hat missed the sophisticated mark due to it’s volume and shape. As for Katie’s choices, well, it’s Katie–take it or leave it. I loved TQ’s bright outfit and thought Meghan may have chose the monochrome look to not stand out, but of course that was pointless. But, it was good to see some rapport developing between the soon-to-be sisters-in-law.

      • magnoliarose says:

        It takes time, and I agree she will grow into it.

      • emerald eyes says:

        Let’s be honest, it’s Harry who looked the most nervous and the worst dressed. His overcoat pockets were completely pulled apart by the time he walked from the church home, like he had been stuffing his hands in them and pulling them out repeatedly.

      • Nancy says:

        I wouldn’t have belted the coat. Belts are not friends to vertically challenged women, lol. Although it appears the belt is tied slightly above the waist, which is smart, and the length of the coat and boots further give the illusion of height. The Queen is pretty much into Orange is the new Black! Bless her heart!

      • notasugarhere says:

        The royal men take the strange lead from Prince Philip and don’t wear gloves. Philip refuses to and this year he didn’t even wear a scarf. Both William and Harry need to visit the tailor Charles uses.

      • FLORC says:

        She will grow into the role for sure. This makes me laugh. Almost like Kate is trying to guide sparkles along. Passing on bad advice. Give those girls a solid year until pleasantries drop.

      • Princessk says:

        Yes, I thought Kate handle the big ‘Kate and Meghan together photo op’ situation with grace and charm and she DID look genuinely happy. Meghan was looking to Kate for guidance.

        The British press have dubbed them the Fab Four. William needs to take note, he should take advantage of this. Harry is more popular but this association could boost his own popularity, especially if the foursome can genuinely be happy and really get along and work well together, which is what I hope for.

      • Nic919 says:

        I did not like Kate’s outfit but she did seem nice to Meghan in the brief clips we saw.

    • homeslice says:

      The Queen is the The QUEEN for a reason, she always shines. The monarchy should die with here JMO. The whole church pap walk is ridic.

      Katie Buttons doing 1983 Diana cosplay with that coat, and Meghan??? She would have been better off just being herself and not wearing a goofy hat. And the expense?? How many kids went without a Christmas dinner while these folks play dress up for church?

      Oy.

      • Mara says:

        The Queen is the Queen because she was the oldest daughter and heir of the last King. No more, no less.

    • Olive says:

      the DM has shots of Camilla and she’s dressed in a vibrant, bright pink/fuschia too, just as bright as the Queen’s orange look!

    • Becks says:

      Yes, that coat looks very robe like and sloppy. It’s too big for her and i just can’t with that silly hat. I don’t understand how you can spend so much money on an outfit and not bother to get it tailored!

    • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

      The coat appears much better fit in photos in which she is standing still and not ambulating.

    • NicoleinSavannah,GA says:

      I WANT the Chloe purse!

      • Beatrice says:

        Me, too! That purse is the only shining star in either of those two awful outfits. I did notice that there is a sharp contrast in hemlines. MM in the more classy mid calf and Kate in her usual above the knee “look at my great legs” length.

  3. grabbyhands says:

    It’s good to see she’s jumping right into the hat game.

  4. Talie says:

    Kate actually looked happier than she usually does…I have a feeling these two will be pretty tight. I was skeptical at first, but it looked like Meghan was deferring to her and William a bit for direction, and Kate may find herself liking the role of mentor on all the tedious protocol.

    • Fleurucci says:

      Helping someone else makes you happy 🙂

    • babykitten says:

      Kate always seems more relaxed during pregnancy and with her children.

    • Pumpkin (formally soup, pie) says:

      Yes, it looked like she **was** deferring to K and W while **ignoring** Harry – who then signaled with his arm the moment she had to curtsy.

      • Jayna says:

        I saw her ignoring Harry also during that video. For a second, I wondered if they had had a tiff.

      • HappyXamp says:

        @jayna, I follow both Pro-Meg and h8rs on Tumblr. Both sets were saying that H and MM got into a fight over a prenup. She didn’t want to sign, but he wants to please granny and have her sign it. Both sets also have said that someone went through MMs clothes and threw out what wasn’t acceptable for a duchess/princess to be and she was beyond furious. Again these are rumors, take them with a grain of salt, whatever you need to do. I think there’s some truth in them because both sets wouldnt be talking about it if there wasn’t any. As for my personal opinion at this time, I’m just tired of all the stories everywhere. Its like she farts and there’s 6 million stories.

      • perplexed says:

        I would they know they got into a fight over a pre-nup? That part I don’t get.

      • Pumpkin (formally soup, pie) says:

        A pre-nup discussion on Xmas day? That sounds unusual? And isn’t it that pre-nups are not legally binding in the UK? And what would a pre-nup include? Money, NDAs, child custody?

      • HappyXamp says:

        @perplexed, there was an article after the rumor came out that QE2 wanted them to sign a prenup and I guess people assumed it was about that. Some people also assumed it was about MM not getting some fancy thing from Diana. It was also noted that she high tailed it out of England shortly after the rumor came out. Another rumor that came out was that she had flown to NYC was doing a photo shoot for Vogue. That one had some proof/meat as the photographer had put it on instagram, I didn’t see the photo when I went looking. Again this is all rumor, take it with a grain of salt.

      • Nancy says:

        @HappyXamp: My kids are playing, my husband is working, my baby is napping and I am commenting 800 times on this thread!!! If i were Harry, I would insist upon a prenup. Everyone thinks it will last forever….until it doesn’t. Sadly, business has to intertwine with romance. Granny’s been to the rodeo a few times and I’m sure protects her heirs. I like MM, but something about her seems self-indulgent, like she is entitled somehow. Maybe it’s the spoiled nature of Hollywood and I hope I’m wrong. I’d hate to see Harry hurt. I don’t follow them other than on blogs, but I do have that image of him behind his mom’s casket….much like looking at John Kennedy, Jr. saluting his father as the procession went by. Better be in this for the right reasons Megan. Don’t trust you Hollywood types!

      • HappyXamp says:

        This isn’t the article I originally read this is just the first one I found. https://okmagazine.com/photos/meghan-markle-prince-harry-first-fight-prenup/

        As for prenuptial being legal in the UK, no clue I’m in the US. I don’t think it’s a bad idea though especially when you think back to what happened with charles and diana.

      • Crazylikeasquirrel says:

        I think if they’re fighting it probably has more to do with her recent negative press. The $75,000 engagement dress didn’t go over well in the UK (my gran is UK born and is beyond irritated with that one). The abandoning one dog and then the other dog breaking 2 legs. Her engagement interview didn’t go over very well over there either. People thought it was disingenuous and that both she and Harry lied. (She didn’t know much about him before they met. She tried to say they’d been together two years, etc.) I imagine these things are not going over well at Buckingham Palace and between the two.

        She can turn it around. And it’s possible that William and Kate are trying to help with that. She seemed to be looking to them for guidance that day. Harry seemed to be irritating her a bit so maybe they’d been over the day and the curtsy one too many times?

      • homeslice says:

        HA! My first thought when I saw Katie Buttons so happy was that MM and Harry must have fought before church.

        Also, glad someone else is feeling my vibe. Wonder if they will actually make it to the altar. I love me some Prince Hot Ginge, but he seems immature…

      • Veronica says:

        This couple has had a long distance relationship, seeing each other in snatches in time. Romantic, passionate, not real life.
        Now reality has hit her: a gilded prison. She can’t even have an opinion again.
        Add in a pre-nup, and maybe she is having second, or third, thoughts. I certainly would.

      • HappyXamp says:

        I have to agree with you Veronica, they haven’t spent any real time together, some couple’s can do this but I don’t think MM and H are in that group. I also think she’s been reading her own press. Cause right before and after the engagement announcement she was touted as the next Diana, the greatest thing since the invention of sliced bread. People were fawning all over her and then the 75 thousand dollar dress and even some of her fans ripped into her for it. I also agree she’s slowly realising what she’s in for. There’s no getting up one morning going ‘ I’m gonna get on a plane and go see Jess’ on a whim. There’s no going to Whole Foods by herself. Her family’s on a different continent, and no amount of friends can fill that. I also don’t think that her mom’s going to drop everything at a seconds notice. Her mom has a job that actually requires her showing up every day ( I have no fucking clue what Carol does).

        I get why people like Mm, she’s actually had a legit job, at 36 she should be/ is confident in herself, she’s relatable etc. However no matter how prepared she is there isn’t a way to really be prepared. It’s like what I hear about having kids, no matter how prepared you think you are, you aren’t.

      • Princessk says:

        These stories must be rubbish, take it all with a pinch of salt, and who would go through her clothes and start throwing them out??? Hopefully Harry and Meghan have had lots of little rows but certainly not about the ones that have been mentioned. They look very much in love and Meghan was very eager to snuggle up to Harry. I could see no sign of any discord in their body language.

      • Marr says:

        @HappyXamp
        Well, I too follow both sets on tumblr and haven’t seen any murmurings about prenup fights and clothes getting thrown away in the pro-Meg camp. These rumor mongerings have been old news though in the haterade crew. They pretend the anon fanfic submissions they get are insider tips lol. The prenup thing has been debunked by GossipCop (it’s not legally binding in the UK anyway) and no outlet has reported anything on clothes getting thrown away.

      • Olenna says:

        @HappyXamp, you commented “Cause right before and after the engagement announcement she was touted as the next Diana, the greatest thing since the invention of sliced bread.” Who is making these proclamations? I have been reading the MM threads on CB since the beginning of her courtship and have yet to see anyone say this other than MM detractors in their attempt to shame her so-called “sugars”. People have complimented MM, pitted her against Katie, asked others to give her a chance or stop demeaning her. But, saying she’s the next Diana, nope. That would be a blatant overstatement, for sure.

    • magnoliarose says:

      I said the same before I scrolled. I have hopes for a good relationship and friendship. I get the feeling Meghan is friendly and easygoing, and that would be great for Kate. Maybe they could do events together. She looks happy and relaxed.

      • Savannah100 says:

        Why do people keeping saying that Kate has issues with her weight? Has Kate or her doctor has said so? I think it’s gross people feel its okay to constantly speculate on someone having some sort of eating or weight disorder. That’s never the topic of discussion here. If she does or doesn’t telling people she does, is just..wrong. it’s also an diease. stop it. You don’t know her health.

      • magnoliarose says:

        I have no idea what you are talking about since it has nothing to do with my post. ??? Truly confused.

    • Betsy says:

      Maybe Meghan will help Kate find some sort of awareness. No one else in Kate’s life seems able to help her.

      • Veronica says:

        The 75k dress kind of awareness?
        My hopes were dashed with that event.

      • Chrissy says:

        I agree. Maybe MM and Kate can be sort of friends. Kate could use a friend since she doesn’t seem to have any other females in life except her mother and sister. I really see Meghan though, becoming friends with Zara or even the York girls as well. I think she needs to stay at arms length of the Carole sphere of influence. Carole could turn this into a matter of “keeping you enemy close” while trying to undermine MM in Kate’s favour. She does have a connection with the Daily Mail after all.

      • ABC says:

        I’m not sure. Kate has major issues with her weight, Meghan seems naturally petite and slim and delicate – the very look Kate tries so hard to achieve. There are going to be comparisons, we are an image obsessed society. When one friend is compared less favourably to another (or feels they are less than another) do these kind of friendships ever truly work out?

      • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

        @ABC,
        That is so pessimistic and sexist.

      • homeslice says:

        Remember the last palace BFF’s, Fergie and Diana…yea that worked out.

    • Veronica says:

      Meghan looked very, very nervous. Especially before her curtsy, which made me queasy. I know it is probably unpopular here, but to see an American descendent of slaves bow down to anyone disturbs me. Kate may be happy because the criticism is off of her.
      As far as the fashion, Kate looked very Christmas-y. Meghan’s coat swallowed her and her boots looked too big. I think she would look better in a more streamlined coat, like Kate’s. But those saying she is 5ft7in? When seeing her next to Kate, if she is 5ft7in, then Kate is 6ft2inches! I think Meghan is tiny -maybe 5ft 4in tops, and very petite, too.
      I liked her hat, and felt bad for her, cause she looked very unsure of herself in some of the pics.

      • Jayna says:

        It’s in the video of them coming out of the church and walking down to where the Queen gets in the car is where you can really see that she seems very unsure of herself. I felt for her. She was very nervous. Sometimes like a deer caught in headlights look. But she got through it, no flubs. Well, the tongue out was unfortunate, but few, except the Daily Fail, etc., seem to be making a big deal about an unflattering shot caught at the wrong time.

        Yeah, there is no way she is five seven. Another celeb fibbing on their height.

      • Luca76 says:

        I agree with you Veronica that she especially would have to curtsy is so gross. But I hope it works out.

      • Veronica says:

        Yes, that was the video. She was visibly nervous.
        And only a moron would think she was sticking her tongue out, like the Daily Fail said. Come on, people! She probably had dry lips. What a thing to make up.
        Welcome to your future life, Meghan. Is anyone here surprised by the passive aggressive take down of her already?
        @Luca, I hope it is worth it to her. I hope it is true love she feels for Harry and that it lasts; otherwise, it will be a tough life.

      • minx says:

        Yes, the whole curtsying thing is ridiculous.
        I don’t feel sorry for MM, though, she wanted this life and she’s getting it. I think she’ll be fine, she’s an older bride and she’s an actress, so she is used to composing herself and performing. I know I couldn’t do it.

      • LAK says:

        You marry an anachronism, you follow their anachronistic rules!!

      • minx says:

        LAK–exactly!

      • Veronica says:

        LAK, i understand. Meghan made this decision, and I’m sure she knew about many of the rules. Her life, her decision.
        It still makes me squirm, though.

      • Jessica says:

        What does her being a descendant of slaves have any relevance to her curtsying. As an American it’s odd; full stop.

        As someone in the military I had to salute to people and it was extremely weird at first (and still is) but it’s not an offensive feeling. It’s a sign of respect for the person’s position.

      • SoulSPA says:

        I am Caucasian so I may not get the subtleties of a persons of mixed race curtsying. But Meghan endorsed in a way or another Baby Fists through praising Trumpette. Or so are the optics. And Meghan is a US citizen born and raised there. I am sure that mixed race citizens of the UK or the Commonwealth curtsy too. So from my point of view it’s either you do it you don’t. I don’t see why Meghan should be criticized for that but it’s just my opinion. Curtsying is a sign of respect, it’s about following a tradition or a protocol. And seemingly it’s not compulsory, with the exception of royals. More so for public occasions. Imagine the reaction if she hadn’t curtsied. *I* would curtsy to TQ because I respect her as figure head of a state.

      • Veronica says:

        Jessica, you salute in the military to those who have earned rank. Not born to 8t. And it is different than curtsying or bowing. And no Americans should curtsy or bow. Just that watching her do it when I know how her ancestors were treated, as less than, it bothered me personally. Obviously it doesnt bother her.

      • Princessk says:

        Yes, Meghan did look vey nervous but I found that rather endearing and her face was as beautiful as ever.

        What has her curtsying and being a descendant of slaves got to do with anything? Meghan is also a descendant of English nobility, and her slave ancestors might have been royalty in Africa.

        Does curtseying rob you of years of your life? No. It is just cultural tradition and does no harm to anyone. It is not about subservience , subordination or weakness it is about respecting the institution of royalty. In many cultures around the world people bow and curtsey to family members out of love and respect. Do tell be what the problem with that is???

      • Princessk says:

        I think she poked her tongue out a bit in a very spontaneous reaction by way of exclamation to something that surprised her in the crowd. Very normal and nothing to be embarrassed about. I am sure she is not the first royal to do so.

    • Princessk says:

      I really hope they get along and don’t give the press a chance to make any stories about fall outs etc.

  5. Elizabeth says:

    I like Meghan’s coat, but hate the shape of the hat.

    The outfit I hate the most is The Queen’s, because I just can’t with orange on someone with cool coloring. Especially with black accessories. Feels more Halloweeny to me.

    • Guest says:

      Same – I like Meghan’s coat a lot, her boots and bag. But the shape of the especially the front, I don’t like

      • Imqrious2 says:

        Meghan should channel her Rachel Zane character for dressing. Rachel always wore clothes that fit impeccably, and the were stylish as well as sexy without being revealing. She usually wore neutrals that suited her coloring. Personally I think she could swap out some of those white/cream shirts for jewel tones that would look amazing with her coloring. But she looks great in streamline clothes: they make her look taller and sleek. JMO 😊

      • SoulSPA says:

        RZ is a fictional character and the network that made the series hired professionals to dress and style *all* characters. Because that network wanted to make money. Don’t forget the writers and directors and technicians. It’s unfair to compare Meghan to a fictional character. As for fashion style, hair or makeup. Meghan is a real person. Rachel Zane is a character. Body double or not.
        ETA Meghan Markle as a future BRF member. Not a woman working in an office.

      • Nic919 says:

        The way her character was styled on Suits was not what most women working in a law firm would wear. Most can’t afford it and it wasn’t very conservative. She even appeared in court wearing only a blouse and skirt not a suit jacket. That would never be acceptable for a lawyer.
        So she probably shouldn’t dress like her character for BRF appearances either.

    • babykitten says:

      I love Meghan’s coat, but not the hat, boots, or saddle bag/canteen. But I usually enjoy her style.

    • Betsy says:

      At least not that particular shade of orange. It’s just so so orange.

      • Citresse says:

        I usually like HM’s style especially at Christmas but IMO, this year was a miss, Camilla usually looks good too but this year I found her look garish.

      • notasugarhere says:

        The two of them were very bright this year. Like, we can see them in the middle of a blizzard kind of bright.

      • Maria says:

        I absolutely loved Camilla’s coat. Beautiful colour, well fitted, and I loved the matching hat. I thought she looked the best of anyone.
        Meghan’s coat was too baggy and Kate’s coat, well not a fan of plads.

      • Imqrious2 says:

        No one should wear that orange lol. At first, I thought TQ was wearing an orange-red shade, but in full sun…nope, looked like a tangerine lol. Not my favorite look, though I like her hat.

        Camilla looked decades older than TQ, and, to me, boy, did she look dour.

        Sophie’s dress was lovely, but wasn’t she cold??? Everyone is bundled up, and she’s wearin 3/4 sleeves! BRRRRR! Lol

    • Milla says:

      Same. That hat is like a certain emoji. As for the coat and the bag it’s a hit. Don’t care about the SW boots, seen them too many times.

      And that orange thing the Queen is wearing is just orange. It may harm someone’s vision. Followed by fuschia Camilla…

      At least it looks like Meg and Kate and Will and Harry are all good with each other.

  6. Cee says:

    I don’t like either outfit but both of them look beautiful and happy.

    Is this the first time W&K are seen holding hands in an official outing?!

    Lady Louise Windsor is so tall.

    • Dixiebells says:

      They have at the Christmas walk before. Definitely not their norm though. I don’t like Kate’s coat. She’s always so on the nose with her choices. Oh! Christmas? Tartan plaid? Yes.

      And someone pointed out Meghan’s hat looked like the poop emoji and now I can’t unsee.

      But other than that seems like everyone looked and did fine.

      • Cee says:

        OMG the poop emoji LOL

      • Megan says:

        Plaid is my least favorite color. It reminds me of 1970’s Geranimal slacks from Sears.

      • L84Tea says:

        See, I’m the opposite–I LOVE plaid, which is weird because I went to Catholic school all my life and wore a uniform, so I should probably loathe it. When I initially saw Kate’s coat, I didn’t care for it and thought it looked too costumey. But the more I look at it, the more I like it. The only part I really don’t care for is the big furry hat–what does she have under there, a teapot??

    • LizB says:

      Kate and William have held hands on the Christmas walk before, nothing new for them.

    • babykitten says:

      It would be nice if Harry’s and Meghan’s example helped relax William into showing more public affection for his wife.

    • Lady D says:

      The young Lady Louise looks like she grew 6 inches since the summer.

  7. African Sun says:

    Been waiting for this on CB. The Daily Flop’s comment section is in pieces as usual.

    So much to unpack, where to begin but the biggest thing that stood out to me was the pressure on Meghan for the courtesy, at least that was the focus on many sites that were covering the story. Flex those knees Meghan LOL and she did.

    I think Meghan looked wonderful and I love that she chose the brown beret that shows off her skin tone. I also think Kate looked nice and she stepped up her game. They have to look relatively conservative since they are heading to church.

    Salute to the young mum on Twitter who got the money shot!

    I’d love to know Meghan’s hair regimen in terms of relaxing or blow drying. Her hair looks awesome.

    Merry Christmas!

    • Fleurucci says:

      Maybe Japanese ionic straightening ? Plus great conditioner and Lainey says almost all celebs have extensions. Her hair is thick looking!

      • African Sun says:

        Those all sound possible. Her natural hair from when she was a child looked very long and thick as well.

      • Fleurucci says:

        Oh and Merry Christmas! If that’s all her real hair, no matter what the straightening technique she must be meticulous or lucky that’s a lot of hair!

      • Imqrious2 says:

        Probably a Brazilian Blowout (it’s a keratin process). I have thick, wavy/curly hair and did it once…first time in my life I didn’t *have* to blow dry to get it straight and frizzless! Just combed it wet, and voila! Of course blowing it out made it amazingly sleek and shiny. Alas, I am too sensitive to the chemicals in it; it gave me a horrid asthma attack, so I wouldn’t do it again. But oh, for 5 months my hair was effortlessly glorious! 😊

      • Charlie Canada says:

        There’s a Youtube video where she’s a guest on some beauty show, and she actually humble-brags about how thick her hair is. The implication is, “Oh dear, my hair is so thick, it’s such a problem.” A bit nauseating.

    • Hh says:

      I’m somewhat underwhelmed by Meghan’s style (so far). It’s appropriate and she looks fine, but I’m not as into it as I thought I’d be. However, her skin, hair, and makeup are always on point.

      • MrsBump says:

        Agreed. I had such high hopes for her, but first the ridiculously overpriced sheer engagement dress, then the boring walkabout outfit and now this insipid one. She needs a better stylist. Her hair and makeup are on point though.
        I’ve never been a Kate fan, but she looks far more festive and Chrimassy. She just glowed in those pictures and frankly looked more beautiful than Meghan a hollywood actress. Those are words i never thought i’d say.
        Meghan is gorgeous but she needs to step up her game.

      • African Sun says:

        She doesn’t want to stand out too much maybe?

      • minx says:

        MrsBump–same. I keep thinking she’ll wow and so far she doesn’t. I liked the white coat for their first appearance but the shoes were a big miss. The navy coat she wore for the walkabout swallowed her up, as does this. Hated the engagement dress. Either she has questionable taste or she is taking bad advice; in either case she needs someone new advising her.
        Part of it is definitely tailoring…she needs her clothes properly fitted to her figure.

      • Serphina says:

        Agree with the statements that MM is not shining like we expected. I’m let down, all brown on Christmas??? It’s a time to wear beautiful colors REJOICE! I do love her outfit, but not for this occasion.

        And Kate looks wonderful with her filled out. Youthful too. Makes me thince about starting my diet in 2018 😉

      • HH says:

        @AfricanSun – It could be that, but I have a feeling it’s more due to someone who’s still trying to find her style.

        When I look at her style from Google image search, it’s somewhat all over the place. Sometimes she can do sophisticated and streamlined, and other times her styling is off. The issue for Meghan is that I’ve seen royal women that NAIL IT: Maxima, Letizia, Victoria, Rania. I was expecting that, but I had my expectations high. The aforementioned women took a little time to hit their stride. That being said, Meghan was an actress who went to enough events (not tons) that I would expect her to know the right silhouettes and colors. Another point working against Meghan is that her (former?) stylist had a tacky, OTT style. So if that’s who Meghan learned the ropes from…welll…she’s pretty much starting from scratch.

        Also, attitude can really help a fashion choice look better or non-existent. For example, Cate Blanchett. She has some questionable choices for me, but her confidence always pulls a look together.

      • Eleonore says:

        I completely agree. And never thought I would say this but for some reason Meghan’s overall underperformance, if there is such a word for it, makes Kate look more confident, more beautiful…and oddly more likeable as well. She looks like she totally belongs there…while Meghan, I am sorry to say it, looks totally out of place. And it is not because she is new at this, even when Kate started public appearances with William as her girlfriend it felt like she just belonged there. The British culture, especially high society is the EXACT opposite of the LA girl/actress/American culture Meghan is about and was raised into. I don’t know, I just cannot see this working out long term. I cannot explain why exactly. It just does not seem to click.

      • Princessk says:

        Meghan was deliberately dressing to look low key and not outshine the other women, which she easily can. If she had gone for a truly stunning outfit the press would have had it in for her saying she was upstaging the Queen and Kate, so she can never win.

        But trust me Meghan is going to have many opportunities to look fantastic in the future. But the truth is she would always upstage them all even if she wore a potato sack.

    • babykitten says:

      I agree that Meghan’s hair is gorgeous. While people have gone on about how “white” Meghan’s and Harry’s children will be, I think they will probably inherit Meghan’s very curly childhood hair. I hope she leaves it beautiful/natural when they are young.

    • AG-UK says:

      She has naturally curly hair from childhood teen photos speaking as a curly haired African American living in London if she finds some one who can blowdry straighten or whatever cling for dear life. Its not easy to find from my perspective and the dampness is hell. I use to use a flat iron 2x a day but gave up back to my curly self.

      • African Sun says:

        I remember there were some good salons in Bow that could blow dry African/Afro hair quite well. Maybe have a look in Bow or Stratford.

        I think she relaxes her hair.

      • Elaine says:

        I know what you mean. It drives me crazy. The damp of England will kill a curly girl’s blow-dry in 20 minutes flat. I use a hair spray by living proof called ‘humidity shield’. It *REALLY* helps.

        I would love to know Meghan’s routine. I’ve heard a lot of nightmare stories about keratin treatments, so I am wary. But her hair game is on point.

      • Bea says:

        Meghan’s hair looks too healthy to have been relaxed for most of her adult life. She probably knows how to expertly blowout and flatiron her hair on her own using styling serums to manage the frizz. By now her hair probably just takes to the straightening easily after years of maintenance.

      • Princessk says:

        Well I hope that Meghan will eventually go back to her natural curly hair and give everyone something to talk about. Frying your hair all the time to keep it straight is just not good for the hair. I just love the way people with African hair are embracing natural again.

    • magnoliarose says:

      I don’t think she wears hair extensions all the time except for work. Her natural hair is very similar to my cousins’ hair, and both of them have thick “biracial” textured hair that straightens like hers. Their hair is a lighter color, so it stands out more, but hers is dark, so it photographs flatter.
      Her face looks pretty and very youthful. She looks a lot younger here.

      • AmunetMaat says:

        Um, magnoliarose, there is no such thing as biracial textured hair. One does not have to be biracial to have Megan’s hair because hair texture isn’t strictly by racial lines. Just wanted to throw that out there.

      • African Sun says:

        @Amunet, come on the beauty industry wants to make more money that’s why they are forcing a new narrative about hair texture as opposed to race. A few years ago, all anyone heard was black hair this, Afro hair that, now all of a sudden they see the coins in the black hair industry and race has become erased.

        Hair types do come from ethnic/racial backgrounds and it is madness not to consider this.

        Younger pictures of Meghan show curly Afro hair that is normal but it seems that her curl pattern now is completely gone because she’s straightened it.

    • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

      Speaking of hair, I think Kate’s length/ loose spirals peeking out from under the hat looked lovely.

  8. damejudi says:

    Look at Lady Louise! So tall, and looks like she’s on her way to being stunningly beautiful.

    • Honey says:

      But every time I see a photo of her it looks as if her clothes are either too small (always) or an afterthought. Here, I’m pointing a finger at her mother.

      • Olenna says:

        ITA. I recall when LL was younger and her mother repeatedly sent her out in public in the same ill-fitting coat while she, herself, was trying to up her wardrobe game with newer, more expensive coats and dresses. I actually felt bad for the kid.

      • Honey says:

        Olenna. I remember those days too. I used to think to myself “is Sophie one of those women who can’t tolerate their girls looking halfway decent or better than them” or “perhaps she just doesn’t “like” LL—hasn’t attached to her (due to the difficult birth and all)” etc., etc.

      • Senaber says:

        @Honey what a nasty comment regarding LL and Sophie. I see a happy child and doting mom. I have a kid who loves to wear one particular coat that is starting to get a bit small but it keeps her warm and it is the only one she likes to wear. Doesn’t mean I’m not bonded or see her as competition. That comment was particularly cruel and unfounded imo.

  9. Nancy says:

    I want to say I love the boots, they’re probably cool in the box. They look odd on and her legs look like stems. For $795, they should look perfect! I like her coat though, Kate’s not so much, but she looks pretty. In Chandler Bing’s voice, Harry, could you wear any more blue!?

    • Annabelle Bronstein says:

      Agree with you, the boots are bothersome. They look unintentionally slouchy, the same way super cheap boots don’t stay up and get an 80s scrunch vibe. For nearly $800, they should come with someone who perfectly fits them to your legs. Im now afraid MMs style will suck, the whole look is a miss.

      • SoulSPA says:

        Yup. I had high hopes for Meghan but all three times I’ve seen her footwear game it was bad. Oversized stilettos for the engagement and non-fitting or badly looking boots on two occasions – the first one after the engagement announcement and now this. And her clothes were a nearly miss too, on all those occasions.
        Of course I cannot comment on what we haven’t seen that’s royal work ethic. But with all the hype of her fashion lifestyle blog, well connected female friends in fashion and access to good advice and fashion, this is all we got. So far it’s a miss.

      • Midigo says:

        Precisely! She is no fashion or style icon for sure.

      • magnoliarose says:

        800 dollars for suede boots aren’t outrageous at that level of fashion, but her stylist has not figured out how to dress her tiny bone structure. I don’t give up this early. Diana was a disaster until she figured it out. It is one thing to be stylish in California or casually but the world stage is different. You have to find designers that fit your body type even after you have them tailored and you have to be firm and clinical about it.

        I want to know where they are finding these stylists. Only nepotism can account for it, and Meghan will have to gain her strength and decline some of these looks.

      • Midigo says:

        Magnoliarose
        I agree Diana was a disaster, but she was so young!
        Meghan is in her late 30s, and she has been professionally working on and with her looks for more than 15 years. She had access to professional stylists, designers, facialists, makeup artists, photographers, during this whole time. I am not impressed by the results, I have to say.

      • perplexed says:

        Diana also had to deal with the 80s — one of the worst decades in fashion. Even the extremely beautiful actresses from that period looked kind of terrible during that decade. Maybe Jackie O and Mallory from Family Ties are the only ones that I think looked fine from that period (Mallory seemed to have the common sense not to get a perm — why didn’t anyone else?)

      • happy girl says:

        Totally agree. The is an unimaginably big day of firsts, for both MM and the Royal Family. Why wouldn’t she want to be perfectly polished from head to toe? Everything is just so sloppy and ill-fitting. And Chloe handbags is a very “BoHo” line. That’s the cute bag for when you’re meeting your girlfriends for lunch in great jeans and a crisp white shirt, etc. Not for Christmas day church service with the Queen of the British Empire, you know? Thought it was a weird choice.

        The coat was plain sloppy. She should have gone to McQueen or Burberry for an immaculately tailored show stopper.

      • Annabelle Bronstein says:

        @magnoliarose not that $800 is outrageous for well-crafted suede boots, but if you’d told me these cost $80 I would believe you. I think that’s the problem with the whole look, it looks very downmarket and not appropriate for Christmas with the queen.

        @happygirl I hope she will find her stride. She could have so much fun with a “preppy with a twist” vibe during these traditional moments. Or if she doesn’t want to be known for her fashion that’s cool too. But to do that you still have to dress intentionally, not just picking out pieces that you like, but paying close attention to the entire look.

      • SoulSPA says:

        I don’t think the comparison between Diana and Meghan stands. Diana was 19 or 20 when she got married in the ’80s. Meghan is 36 now in the ’00s. There is a world of difference not only as to their ages and life experience. I read somewhere that Diana got help from her mother to buy herself a fiancee’s clothes because all she had worn previously consisted of safe or dull clothes. Meghan comes from Hollywood and she’s been talked about having access to fashion, not only as in regards her work. Acting experience enter fashion, connected friends and interest in fashion if only but not limited to her endorsement of a Canadian brand Reissman or something like that. Plus her blog and IG posts also on fashion.
        I *really* do not want to seem critical even if I am criticizing. I am *really* trying to convey a message as nicely as I can. Neither Kate or Meghan can afford to miss at fashion. As subjective as it may seem. People make successful careers out of making other people look good. Not fantastic all the time, but good. Acceptable. That’s the first thing we can see. Not how well spoken they are, friendly or doing good deeds. The women are most targeted for their looks. As sad as it is, it is the reality. Tens of billions in all that is marketed towards women. And being a part or almost part of the BRF requires the highest standards of excellence. Especially for the two most talked about women – Kate and Meghan. TQ *is* the most important, Camilla and Sophie may be the hardest working. Come on, get the basics well. Not fantastic because it’s hard or even impossible to please everyone. It’s hard not to be critical when they have or can afford access to the best of everything. Privilege that very few have.

      • notasugarhere says:

        I don’t think they’re required to be fashionable. They’re required to dress professionally and to protocol. They aren’t supposed to be fashion plates, although many royal women fall into the trap of thinking that way.

      • FLORC says:

        The garden photos? Those heels were amazing! I think she’s in an area of influence rn. Trying to d it in. Trying to dress how she thinks others would best approve.

        Sparkles past style is solid and evolves. Just like Kate used to dress for her body and now goes for dowdy to the max.

      • Princessk says:

        I am really surprised at all the silly comments here, saying that they have been let down by Meghan’s style of dress. This is not the red carpet! The royals all know they are going to be photographed going to church and like most people at Xmas when they go out they want to look as good as possible, and be a little bit eye catching for the crowds who turn out. Meghan looked great and was dressed very appropriately for the occasion. She is a newbie royal and so she was not planning to try to upstage anyone.

        Don’t worry all of you who are mad fashionistas will have plenty to comment on over the years.

    • Pix says:

      Megan has the tiniest, skinniest legs and those boots are drowning her. Same thing with the coat. She’s a tiny person and that ill-fitting wrap coat swallows her whole. It’s like she or her stylist has no clue how to dress her frame. They keep picking these overwhelming fabrics and she looks like amateur hour. I’d be willing to bet her stylist is working with her from the internet and not in person. I love Megan and want her to look fabulous, but she needs to stop listening to whomever is dressing her.

    • Kelly says:

      I was wondering if it was just me. I don’t like those boots and they look terrible on her.

    • RedOnTheHead says:

      Nancy, I thought it was just me. Those are the weirdest fitting boots and make her legs look like toothpicks. In the one shot with Harry where he is reaching out to the lady in the wheelchair you can see where her left heel is a few inches from the back of the boot. Either they are too big or by the time she walked a little, her toes had slid down and bunched up in the toe box. Just looks uncomfortable.

      Love the bag, love the coat, love everything. Except the boots.

    • RedOnTheHead says:

      Nancy, I thought it was just me. Those are the weirdest fitting boots and make her legs look like toothpicks. In the one shot with Harry where he is reaching out to the lady in the wheelchair you can see where her left heel is a few inches from the back of the boot. Either they are too big or by the time she walked a little, her toes had slid down and bunched up in the toe box. Just looks uncomfortable.

      Love the bag, love the coat, love everything. Except the boots.

    • Betsy says:

      They do look perfect – they’re 70s slouchy.

    • Honey says:

      Most long/ high boots will probably look like that on her legs. Go back and look at their engagement photo. I remember noting that she has very skinny legs (but not in a mean way). She wore shoes that have ankle straps, if I’m not mistaken, and that’s when the skinniness of her legs caught my attention. Could have not been straps but I do remember thinking that her legs and ankles are too small for the type of shoe she was wearing.

    • Msthang says:

      Nancy, she’s got twiggy calves!

      • Nancy says:

        Lol….poor thing is trying, bless her heart. She’s under the microscope, and to some extent I think she is loving it, but when she starts getting critiques, probably not so much. I remember hearing about Twiggy obviously, but didn’t really see her until she judged on ANTM. She is now over 60, but still attractive. Everyone is talking about MM when poor Harry looks like a blue smurf! @midigo: People forget Diana was 36 when she passed away, the same age Meghan is NOW.

    • Nancy says:

      magnoliarose: Diana was tall and thin, a designer’s dream. People are saying on this thread anyway, that Meghan is 5’7. I’d say closer to five four. She wears very high heels all the time. I would think it is harder to dress someone that little. I’m sure designers will be falling over themselves to dress her. She’s doing ok. Petite and cute, always smiling which is a plus.

      • Pumpkin (formally soup, pie) says:

        The Suits stylists make a good job styling RZ. What’s the big deal? Or it’s not possible to find well-fitting clothes/boots/shoes among all those expensive fashion brands/label? Or custom items made for her?
        I am in minority but I like everything she wore except for the fact that coat and boots look to big for her.

  10. Fleurucci says:

    Love Kate’s Coat if I were that thin I’d get something like that, she looks amazing. and Meghan’s bag is kind of cute. All the brown is interesting. She took off her gloves, is this normal for royals? As fasniators go those don’t seem too weird or ugly. Not sure what Kate’s hat is but she looks pretty in it

    • Hazel says:

      I thought I saw Meghan take off her right glove to shake hands with well-wishers (clergy, the public) then put it back on.

      • notasugarhere says:

        There are several royal ladies who do that (Maxima, Mary). In some parts of Europe, it is considered rude for a woman to keep her glove on when shaking hands.

    • graymatters says:

      Taking off the gloves to shake someone’s hand is normal good manners — sort of like taking off mirrored sunglasses when you talk to someone. I remember when there was a fuss about HM not taking off her gloves but it was put out there that she left hers on because of how many hands she needed to shake.

      • Fleurucci says:

        Thanks everyone, knew you guys would know, sounds like she’s following protocol, I just don’t remember seeing other royals do that

  11. Lora says:

    I hate both outfits!

  12. Millennial says:

    The hat was terrible — looked like an acorn to me. And the coat was too big. So overall, I was pretty disappointed in this fashion outing.

  13. Rainbow says:

    Never thought I’d say this, but Kate actually has more charisma than Megan. Megan is fine on her own or with Harry. But put her in a group and she disappears. All that sludge brown doesn’t help either. Too drab.

    Kate is glowing these days. There’s something about her that seems genuinely happy lately, compared to previous years where she’d looked tense and like she’s always aware of her surroundings. She’s more…serene now. I think she and William are looking happier and more relaxed too, probably because the media scrutiny is not on them right now with Megan the newcomer commanding all attention. Kate looks like she (finally) belongs in the royal family. She shows more gravitas and presence nowadays.

    • Ira says:

      I’m not sure if Kate has more charisma. But she’s definitely look more relax these days.

    • liriel says:

      I’m extremely surprised but I agree with you. More charisma, prettier and taller. She has almost model-like height and it shows. I thought Meghan was a stunning beauty but when I saw her being so petite next to Kate she disappeared. I’m also surprised for such a big event Meghan disappointed style-wise. Kate’s outfit isn’t great either but she’s glowing!

      • SoulSPA says:

        Comparing the two on their height? Really? Like being petite were Meghan’s shortcoming. Erm. Like, no. Meghan is gorgeous. Kate pretty at most. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder so … whatever. Kate smiles with glee all the time, whether appropriate or not. The burden is on her now with Meghan near. The games have begun. Oh dear.

      • Jayna says:

        Hmmm. It was more so because her outfit was bland. Many petite women steal the show and tall women end feeling huge next to them. It’s all in how you are styled and the lines of your body. Meghan has long, lean lines, even though not tall. She was swallowed up in her outfit, baggy boots, bunchy, long coat, bland makeup. She just didn’t stand out to begin with, so Kate all glowing and with color and all leggy did stand out.

        The next time it could be the exact opposite. Kate being in something that makes her feel clumsy and stuffy next to small-boned Meghan, who might be in something form-fitting and very flattering and to her knees or a little above, not long.

      • MrsBump says:

        Exactly what i posted earlier. i’m shocked at how Kate so easily outshined Meghan, but i think it could be simply because Meghan was essentially wearing a glorified bathrobe (again!)
        You are right that Meghan sort of disappears in a crowd setting but its normal for her to be unsure. In a few years she’ll have the confidence these occasions warrant.

      • perplexed says:

        I’m thinking maybe Meghan didn’t want to stand out too much. The media might have accused her of trying to steal the spotlight from the current Queen and future Queen (consort?). If you choose that much brown and beige, my assumption is that you want to be boring on purpose.

      • Nancy says:

        I agree. Petite usually gets labeled as cute, until you reach a certain age. I see people arguing over height, but Kate, to me, at least, appears more regal, just as her mother in law did. Meghan looks like a twenty something happy go lucky girl, when in actuality, she is a 36 year old woman. Kate towers over her, even with MM in very high heeled boots. Her smile says move over Gidget, I’ve got this! @liriel, Kate comes off better in these photos. Let the royal wars begin, bc from hereon in, they will be compared.

      • Bettyrose says:

        Perplexed, ITA!! Meghan is wise to be subdued at this point. Can you imagine the PR disaster of her coming across as a gouche American before they’re even married? I think the look is perfect.

      • liriel says:

        @Nancy, yeah! Kate appears to be regal and I’ve realised it when looking at the pictures. Royal war is petty but innocent, we can have our fun and say who looks better. Not to mention, even people here on CB expected Meghan to be a style icon that makes Kate look bad. The majority of Meghan supporters are disappointed style-wise, what an irony! Kate wore some awful outfits and they kind of worked because she’s tall, slim and leggy. Models are hired because clothes just look better on them. Of course being petite has its perks and she might look lovely but Meghan is 36 and in this “coat” she does indeed looks like a girl. I hope she’ll learn what works for her.

    • Veronica says:

      Meghan looked really nervous. Just think of what her holiday was like. Alone with her new fiance, 6000 miles from home, a public event in the most photographed, criticized, and stuffy royal family in the world. Just excoriated for a 75k sheer gown. (Which WAS a misstep.) No mom a drive away to run home to, the way Kate always did. Racist in-laws, Camiila looked she rolled her eyes at her in one video I saw. She is totally out of her element. Holding on to Harry, almost clinging. I read real fear on her face. Completely understandable.
      I felt bad for her; she is smart, she may adjust, figure it all out. But she is doing it in the world’s biggest spotlight.

      • Honey says:

        Yeah. It looks as if MM’s confidence was both shook and shaken. Part of me wondered what could have possibly happened between that first outing together, the larger family dinner, and this event.

        Kate should have been the more relaxed and comfortable one. By know, not only should she know the drill but what to expect. I also suspect that Kate will be more relaxed because she’s no longer the sole person who will be watched and criticized.

      • African Sun says:

        She had to have known this. I think she will be OK.

      • Veronica says:

        African Sun, can anyone not Britsh, not growing up in these circles, really have any idea of what they are getting into? I doubt it.

      • perplexed says:

        I think on some level you’d have to know given how often William and Harry talk about it in relation to both themselves and their mother. Even in private, I can see them being upfront with their partners about what to expect. But I think you go in hoping the lifestyle will counteract the negatives. I’m pretty sure I’d make the same “mistake” (put in quotes, since maybe it’s not a mistake as yet for her).

      • Maria says:

        Not only that Veronica, but her dog broke both its legs so she is probably upset about that. I think the reason she looks so much shorter is that when she is curtsying she bows her head slightly whereas Kate is looking directly at the Queen. I’d put her at 5’4″.

      • African Sun says:

        @Veronica, I suppose my point is she probably knew in advance that she would be doing public curtseys et al. I think the curtsey is just not a big deal because it is done in many other countries to varying degrees.

        Has anyone seen an old video I believe of some ministers literally crawling on their hands and knees to the King of Thailand or Cambodia don’t? They were literally crawling.

        I think she will adjust and be OK. It is the bed she made, though a golden one at that!

      • liriel says:

        Just one thing, I know that Kate had and has her mum but let’s not make Carole soem superhero. Kate was young, a student when she met William so of course she’d be close to her mum. Good for her then she still is because she can’t really go out and meet tons of friends. As for Camilla being racist I don’t know. I’m sure the atmosphere can be daunting. Meghan was clinging to Harry a bit too much and frankly I believe she “loves a good fairy tale” and loved the attention, the cover of Vanity Fair but now she spent the Christmas with the BRF and the reality sets in. Just like stupid curtsey thing. I thought being an actress was enough but maybe that’s not a case.

      • Hannah says:

        Why would you feel sorry for her? Megan chose to spend her last Christmas as a single woman away from her family.

      • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

        Oh my gosh, I saw the video of them descending the church steps and greeting the priest- her smile fell from her face after that just as rapidly as Melon’s during the infamous inauguration crowd scene, yikes.

      • Peanut Gallery says:

        This. She completely clung to Harry and in the video there is one moment where her smile fades and she literally looks like she is about to cry. I don’t feel bad for her because she chose this but at the same time, there is NO doubt it is intimidating for her. In the still pics walking with her, she has a death grip on his arm. Her hand is clenched so hard her knuckles have gone white. She has made several fashion missteps and she knows the pressure is on from all angles. She really does stick out like a sore thumb in this stuffy family. Kate seems to like her a lot but the others? Not so much.

      • Princessk says:

        Meghan’s nervous look and wide fearful eyes were to me rather endearing and heartwarming.

    • Talie says:

      I don’t know about charisma, but Kate was definitely sure of herself and quite confident, which was an interesting change! Meghan seemed to come alive again when she did the line, greeting the public…that is definitely her strength.

      It’s funny that all it took for the British press to fall in love with Kate again was for an American to come into the family. They are going out of their way now to praise her curtsey.

      • notasugarhere says:

        KMs curtsey? Given that KM still failed at her curtsey it is *interesting* if it is being praised. MM while nervous still executed a solid curtsey complete with head bow timed exactly when Harry and William also bowed their heads, while KM still forgot to bow her head.

      • African Sun says:

        @notasugar, yeah this! Keen fans happy today because the Daily Flop has decided that Kate had a better curtsey. She looked good but Meghan did fine.

      • liriel says:

        American or just it’s the vibe she gives off. I think Meghan took some of the attention, Kate feels more confident. Kate used to be an outsider – William and Harry were both born royals, she had to learn how to behave like one. Now she’s not the odd one, she has someone she can give advise too and she’s pregnant – nice combination.

      • Milla says:

        Britsh press likes to destroy people and then put them on pedestal. Just to destroy them again.

        Kate got so much grief in the past. And let’s be honest, she didn’t do anything wrong. Meanwhile Harry and Will can do whatever they want, not only cos they are royals but cos the biggest victim of brit press was their mother. Meghan will have to learn to live with that. It was her choice, she’s not a kid.

      • Pumpkin (formally soup, pie) says:

        K looked sure of herself and confident because she knew they will be compared to one another and that MM was going to be nervous.

      • perplexed says:

        Kate is pregnant right now so I wouldn’t expect her curtsy to be perfect during this outing (however it’s supposed to look).

      • SoulSPA says:

        @African Sun, yes I saw that fail article. A bit of snark here, if they do at least in part the Midds’ agenda I can see why they praise Kate. Erm, Kate’s also has years in her royal role but why take that into account. Also, I cannot forget that excuse of curtsy, pictured in motion, when she met King Willem-Alexander. That said, Meghan did that curtsy just fine. Kate not so much if only for the picture I’ve seen but keeping *the unseen bow* a little longer would have appeared in the picture. My reading: Kate is still nervous or does not taking curtsying to TQ seriously.

      • notasugarhere says:

        perplexed, Kate Middleton pretty much always does a curtsy wrong. It has nothing to do with whether or not she is expecting.

    • emerald eyes says:

      I wouldn’t say Kate had more charisma than Meghan, but I would say she definitely handled this event better. She does have more experience, of course, and she comes from the culture, which I think helps.

      I think that Meghan was fine. I do think Celebitchies might be a tad disappointed in that she isn’t going to go into the royal family and immediately steal the thunder, as was predicted here. She was going to be more stylish, more confident, establish patronages, give great speeches, charm the family top to bottom, and have the country eating from her hand – all from the get go. She will find her footing but it will take time and people just have to be patient.

      And she may even be friends with Kate. That would actually be a positive I think.

      • liriel says:

        You’re right, it’s all about expectations. Meghan was supposed to make Kate look bad, in a fashion and working sense. We all fought Carole (Kate) would hate Meghan and I can see Kate’s genuine and tries to help Meghan and didn’t try to outshine her or anything like that.

      • Veronica says:

        Yes, people expected Meghan would come in and be loved by all – the family and the public. But that doesnt seem to be how these things work- the aristocrats might be friendly to her face, but I would imagine they are quite snobby in private. And it seems as though 1/2the public is opposed to her while the rest don’t care . I think it is mostly because she is an American. And she really doesnt understand the expectations and rules, because how could she???

        And I think Carole was cackling over the 75k gown debacle, and I bet Kate was, too. It takes a lot of pressure off of the homegrown British girl.

      • perplexed says:

        I’m wondering if the expectation of Meghan making Kate look bad is more of an internet thing

        I feel Harry could guide Meghan. Maybe he thinks he’s more beloved than he is because he’s Diana’s son, but he’s now sixth in line. His placement probably affects perception of how much he and Meghan can spend.

      • SoulSPA says:

        Veronica, the fact that she is an American is one thing that Meghan has against her. I am sure she gets the serious things right. From what I’ve seen she curtsies a lot better than some. And she speaks well. She’s worked more than “many” in a very competitive career and achieved a certain degree of success that few get, at that level, in their own right, The “aristos” and “royals” seem to be snobish and entitles towards any one who’s not born in their league. Not all and not always but still, these are the optics re: that class system. I shall refrain from characterizing them.
        Meghan does it right where it matters even her fashion lacks, even though that’s the most visible pf what she is, at one, two, three points in her “royal” visible career. She is educated and she’s worked. Successfully. It shows. She speaks well. I am afraid that what she’s shown lacking in fashion does not play in her advantage and it’s up to her to prove she can do better. Kate’s only advantage so far is that at one point, this money shot, did a bit better than Meghan. And the engagement photos. It’s still only fashion. Kate will be protected. I am even curious to see what the fail will come up next about Meghan. Not that Kate didn’t have a teenage job but Meghan at 13 or 14 worked in a frozen yogurt shop or something like that? The fail, again that fail of online magazine! Meghan will be thrown under a truck, again, whereas some people are insulted that Kate was called the “m” word, as if the judgement of RPOs, some of the *best* prepared people in the country, also judges of characters for that matter, charged with the protection of the royals, were amiss. Phleassse.

      • Veronica says:

        SoulSpa, yes, I think 90% of the issues Meghan will have are the class system and that she is American. Because she is much more accomplished than almost any of the rest of them.

    • notasugarhere says:

      I don’t think it is more charisma, it is that KM enjoys the attention she gets at this event. Just like the christening that was designed as a public circus and pap walk, where she really enjoyed being the center of attention. KM struts out like “Look at me, I made it” during certain family events.

      • liriel says:

        But if that’s the case I’d say Meghan is the same – Vanity Fair cover, engagement pictures, loving the limelight. She just had a bad styling and thought it’d be easier to fit in.

      • Bea says:

        @liriel said “She just had a bad styling and thought it’d be easier to fit in.”

        Many others here and other places have made assumptions on how Meghan would adjust and fit in based on what we’ve seen of her in interviews and such, but none of us in fact know what Meghan really thinks or feels about about her ability to fit in.

        I like that she looked to Will, Kate and Harry for guidance and reassurance for her first public curtsy. It shows her openness to take advice and knowledge from those in the know and not act as if she’s a know it all as some have expected. At least this gave us a glimpse into her willingness to put in an effort to learn the correct protocol for her new life as a member of the BRF.

  14. The Original Mia says:

    I loved Meghan’s ensemble, even the hat. I hated Kate’s ensemble, especially that hat. The Middleton women need to retire that thing! I would have liked Kate’s coat if it was 1: a maternity coat and 2: longer. But…Kate seemed happy and engaged, which was great. Meghan looked nervous at times. It was nice to see the Wales’ branch actively instructing her on proper protocol and enjoying themselves.

    • LizB says:

      You basically wrote what I was going to write! Although I don’t “love” Meghan’s outift, I think she looks nice and it’s appropriate for the occasion.

    • Splinter says:

      The Middleton women in those hats have some Russian vibe to them, Camilla, on the other hand, not so much.

  15. Spicecake38 says:

    Lady Louise looks more polished than either Kate or Meghan.

    • Splinter says:

      Well, she was born a lady..

    • crogirl says:

      She’s Edward’s daughter right? Why is she a lady and Beatrice and Eugenie princesses?

      • SoulSPA says:

        IIRC it was her parents’ choice to style her “Lady”. Her brother is a “Lord”. But technically they are a princess and a prince because their father is a blood prince. Titles are passed through the male line IIRC.

      • Merritt says:

        Because Edward and Sophie chose to have their children styled with titles that reflect the children of an Earl rather than royal titles.

      • Josie says:

        Edward and Sophie formally declared that their children would not be styled prince or princess and not be HRH. They also took less exalted titles at marriage than was expected — an Earldom rather than a Dukedom, with the promise of Phillip’s Dukedom of Edinburgh instead. (True fact: they came up with the Earl and Countess of Wessex because Edward loved the movie Shakespeare in Love.)

        It’s an open question whether this was a genuine preference on Edward and Sophie’s part, or whether they were advised to go that route in the aftermath of Diana’s death and a general feeling that the Windsors were out of touch and getting too expensive. They could actually reverse course and style Louise and James with the HRH Prince/Princess titles at any time (just as Camilla could style herself Princess of Wales, if she and Charles decided to ignore public outrage).

      • Olive says:

        @Josie if it wasn’t their choice, it ended up being a smart one, since there’s very little chance Louise and James will grow up to be working royals. it was a realistic choice. Edward seems to accept that about his children far more than Andrew does!

      • notasugarhere says:

        Edward and Sophie were never intended to be full-time members of the Firm, while Andrew and Sarah were. Given the size of the working royal family, it was logical to assume that Beatrice and Eugenie would be part of the Firm as adults. That changed at some point in their late teens and Andrew refused to accept the memo.

        For Edward and Sophie, I think it was always clear from day one that neither their kids nor Anne’s would ever be part of the ongoing circus.

  16. Merritt says:

    I liked both coats but I don’t care for either of the hats. Sophie’s coat was out of place to me, I liked it but it see too fancy for the occasion.

    • Chaine says:

      I loved Sophie’s coat and she looked gorgeous, but I agree, it was not the right occasion for it and she just must have been freezing too, it did not look very warm!

    • notasugarhere says:

      It would have looked better as part of a formal evening Christmas event to me.

    • Princessk says:

      I think Sophie tries very hard to get her picture in the newspaper by wearing outfits she thinks the people will adore. I noticed that after church she deliberately strode alone so that we could all get a glimpse of the dress/coat. Autumn also tries to get noticed too.

      I felt a bit sorry for all of the other members of the RF because everyone really wanted to see the Fab Four and especially Meghan, in fact some of them even wistfully looked back to see how Harry and Meghan were interacting with the crowd, a clear signal that the arrival of marvellous Meghan has pushed them all that bit further out of public interest.

  17. Splinter says:

    It’s nice to see Meghan wearing boots not shoes, I always find the shoe-coat combination in winter strange.
    So she is vegan but not against wearing genuine leather. I know it is not the same, but still.
    And the hat matches Harry’s hair.

    • Fleurucci says:

      Strange combo but that’s what QEII does, maybe that’s why Kate does it

    • Pumpkin (formally soup, pie) says:

      That color looks good on her. And her make up is so spot on.

    • Pennie says:

      She is not vegan, remember, Harry proposed over roasted chicken. At least that‘s what they said in the engagement interview.

    • Kayla says:

      Meghan’s not vegan otherwise the roast chicken proposal wouldn’t have happened as Vegans don’t eat any meat or wear anything from animals.

      Royal reporters have been wrongly quoting what Meghan has said in the past which is she eats vegan/vegetarian meals during the week and meat on the weekends to help keep herself in in shape when she was shooting suits.

      • Splinter says:

        That makes sense.
        I also read in the DM comments that she didn’t leave the old dog behind – as she had adopted them with her ex, they each got one, and this would also make more sense than ‘too old to fly’

      • Pumpkin (formally soup, pie) says:

        “…vegan/vegetarian meals during the week and meat on the weekends to help keep herself in in shape…”

        I am calling BS. It is totally possible and doable to “stay in shape”=not gain weight while eating animal products, just as a “vegan” or “vegetarian” diet can lead to weight gain.
        I don’t care who eats what, but I think that wearing leather and fur as fashion statements sucks.

      • Maria says:

        Once thing I will say is that Meghan is really a striking looking woman.

      • Olive says:

        @Pumpkin of course it’s possible to not gain weight while eating meat. It’s possible to not gain weight while eating cake, as well, since weight gain is about portions, not what you eat. I would think Meghan probably found it easier to manage her weight/cravings while eating a vegan diet during the week, and I bet a lot of Hollywood actresses eat similarily. I don’t think anyone is claiming it’s not possible to maintain her weight if she eats meat, or impossible to gain weight on a vegan diet; they’re just reporting what she said works for *her.* it’s not meant to be prescriptive for everyone.

      • Pumpkin (formally soup, pie) says:

        @Olive, you are right.
        What I know about celebrities and food is summed up by their reticence to carbs as in starches and their affection for salads, egg-whites and lean meat. That and buckets of water. And cleanses maybe. And “superfoods”.
        I remember reading a very looooooong time ago about this very well known actress who said she doesn’t deprive herself, not even from burgers, so “I will have a quarter” of a burger. What kind of a life is that for a person who affords food, and affords good quality food.

    • Alyse says:

      Yes, surprised to see her goatskin boots. I’ve not followed her clothes choices before and just assumed she led a vegan lifestyle. She just must be a vegan for health/dietary reasons.

    • Peanut Gallery says:

      She is not vegan LOL.

  18. Chef Grace says:

    Not liking the hat. Looks like an unraveling toilet paper thingy stuck to it. The color is good.
    Love her coat and boots though.

  19. Jussie says:

    I really disliked Megan’s outfit. On paper it’s fine. Beige coat, brown accessories. Classic. But all the details are off. The coat’s quite nice, but she’s too short and slight for such a long, bulky, wide collared style. The boots are terrible. It looks like they’re falling down. Fitted boots in that shade, lovely. The hats fine, but then the bag and gloves just makes it all a bit too matchy-matchy.

    I think she is going for a mix of Carolyn Bessette minimalism and classic Ralph Lauren-ish style in what she’s chosen to wear so far, but it takes a really, really good eye to properly pull that kind of thing off. Every choice has to be perfect.

    Hate Kate’s whole outfit as well btw, but this is like the 20th time she’s worn some variation of it so I can’t be bothered getting into it! For good measure, Harry’s coat is very poorly fitted, and clashes with Megan’s outfit.

    • Susanne says:

      Agree with you entirely about Besette and Lauren. It’s a good strategy, but the fit on some of these pieces are off, which negates the whole classic, rich but effortless looking vibe.
      Mm will get better. She has to play it safe so as not to be the flashy american actress.
      I’m hopeful for her fashion future, and I need it in 2018. Also loving the idea of mm and Kate connecting and mutually supporting…

      • babykitten says:

        I so hope those two (Kate and Meghan) are at least public besties. The followers are already pitting them against each other. How refreshing if they presented a united front of loving sisters-in-law. Some of my closest friends are those I have little in common.

    • liriel says:

      Meghan is too short for Bessette’s style, now it’s clear.

      • Veronica says:

        Yes, next to Kate, she is tiny. She comes up to Kate’s nose. I think she is maybe 5 ft 3 in, not the 5 ft 7 in she is listed as. Either that or Kate is 6ft tall.
        Her clothes have swallowed her.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Depends on cut and styling. Princess Marie of Denmark (Prince Joachim’s second wife) is 5’2″ or 5’3″. She sticks to simple and classic in the daytime and looks great. It is her evening wear that is the big problem for me.

      • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

        I think Kate is 5’8-5’10. She’s fairly tall. Meghan would likely be in the 5’5/5’6 range.

      • Jessica says:

        @Veronica

        Girl please; she is not 5’3. I’m 5’3 and she’s much taller than me.

      • Renee says:

        She’s probably around 5’5. There’s no way she’s 5’7. She’s wearing about a 4″ heel and Harry still towers over her.

    • Dr. Mrs. The Monarch says:

      I love that both women look happy and comfortable. Sadly though, I agree that MM’s whole outfit is too baggy and slouchy. She looks like she dressed up as the paper bag princess. I think the hat is okay though.

      I feel like I’ve seen Kate in this look before too. She seems to be trying to make “Scottish-Zsa-Zsa-Gabor” a thing…or did I see this outfit on Miss Piggy at some point? Some sort of 80s/90s throwback. This is what she probably thinks of as “classic” but just comes across as outdated. I think if Kate wants to look classic a better style icon for her to emulate would be Audrey Hepburn.

    • emerald eyes says:

      She should admire Bessette but not try to pull off that look wholesale. Bessette was tall and broad shouldered, and economical through the chest region. Meghan is not any of those things. She can incorporate pieces of the style but the whole shebang is not something she should emulate.

      For photographic purposes, she should stick to tailored items. The will play up her petite and slight stature and allow people to focus on her lovely face, instead of searching for it in a sea of swimming clothes.

      There is simply no way she is 5′ 7″, and I’d say even 5’5″ is a stretch. I estimate between 5’4″ and 5″5″, which is neither short or tall.

      • liriel says:

        This! Tailored items x100 and focus on her beautiful face and hair. You can have your fashion icon and then realise it doesn’t work for you (Kate Moss comes to mind)

    • llamas says:

      I think she looks better in long coats when they’re open in the front.

    • STICKS says:

      I like MM’d coat a lot. That’s about it. I’m hating the slouchy boots a lot. I don’t think MM was trying to not steal the limelight. I think all outfits so far show a lot of thought. They’ve just not gone over so well (expensive figure skater dress, this outfit). She looked super nervous and like the fairytale part is over and reality set in. I’m sure it’s just temporary and she’ll find her stride. I don’t agree that it should be easier because she’s 36 and has had a career/life experience. To me that makes it harder. You’re losing things – freedom, identity etc. Whereas it was more a natural progression for Kate who went kind of straight after university. Anyway, I didn’t love Kate’s outfit but oddly felt ok about it. While MM’d outfit seemed a bit tryhard to me,Kate’s and her demeanour seemed very at ease. She looked very confident. Agree she’s probably enjoying not being the new kid on the block anymore.

  20. Cher says:

    I dislike Kate’s coat, buttons….again. Megan looked stylish. I was looking forward to seeing Megan with the rest of Harry’s family but it all seemed to fall flat!!!!!

    • Princessk says:

      Well Kate seems to have her own ‘style’ buttons and all, and if she feels comfortable with it that is fine with me because i am not wearing the clothes.

  21. Renee2 says:

    I think that Meghan’s coat is fine, it’s her hat that I don’t care for. It’s got a weird shape to it. I don’t particularly like her boots but they are okay. Kate looks like she is from 1987 with that outfit. I think that Harry and Will look the nicest of all of them.

    Since Meghan is a brown-skinned person of African descent maybe we could refrain from the her hat looks like poop comments??

    • Enough Already says:

      Lol, if you think a poop hat and being a poc are related then maybe you’re the one fixated on race.

    • Beth says:

      So if she was a white skinned woman of Australian descent you’d be fine with people saying that the hat looks like poop?? Why should skin color have anything to do with opinions of her hat? It’s an ugly hat that looks like poop and would be just as ugly on anyone

    • llamas says:

      It’s a hat that would look like poop on anyone. Nobody is bringing race into it; it’s a hat.

    • llamas says:

      This is a pet peeve of mine but her name is Meghan not Megan. I’m not sure why so many people get this wrong. Her name is in The article. Can we please spell it right?

      • Beth says:

        Chill out. Elizabeth/Elisabeth (mine), Jamie /Jaime, Caitlin /Kaitlyn, Steven /Stephen. There’s multiple ways to spell a name that still sounds the same way. I’m sure Meghan isn’t insulted and crying because someone didn’t spell her name the way she does

      • minx says:

        All due respect, Beth, we should try to spell people’s names correctly. It’s their name. Shouldn’t be, oh it sounds the same, so close enough. My name is Marcia, for example, not Marsha.

    • African Sun says:

      Many people are secretly and veiled in their racist comments so that’s why comments like that rear their ugly head.

      I got the impression many people on other sites as well didn’t like her wearing brown because it reminds them of her ethnicity.

      • Princessk says:

        I totally agree with you, and the ‘poop’ comments about her hat were veiled racism, and very juvenile with it. Shades of brown are my favourite earthy colours, and I hope Meghan continues to wear them.

      • African Sun says:

        @Princessk, yes totally juvenile and silly. She isn’t going anywhere, they need to suck it up.

    • Peanut Gallery says:

      Are you serious? LMAO just STOP! Her race has ZERO to do with the color and shape of the hat and the comments that have followed. So ridiculous. It doesn’t matter what race or skin color the person wearing that hat is. It looks like a POOP EMOJi!

    • Van says:

      Meghan brown skin….not hardly

  22. Peace says:

    Both coats are overpriced and not so amazing. Meghan’s was too big for her petite frame, Kate’s coat was her size.

  23. Lucy says:

    I like how both of them looked. Kate’s hat seems super cozy! Didn’t love Meghan’s, though, but I’m willing to give her a pass on it, she has room to improve. I did love her little purse and boots.

  24. babykitten says:

    Is Louise supposed to be in front of Philip, or do they remove the sticks from their bottoms on Christmas day? I’m glad to see she’s finally being dressed like a young lady versus an over-grown child.

  25. SoulSPA says:

    Finally, the money shot. LOL. I was not expecting Meghan and Kate to look so …. I don’t know what word to put here but I didn’t like either. Just my opinion. I’ve seen more pictures already because I did check the fail.
    Kate: basic coat. When they curtsied when TQ she out of the four (two young couple) she was smiling, smiling, smiling with her head up looking up front. Harry, Meghan and Will all had their heads down/looking towards the ground. Basic short curtsy, Meghan deeper and IMHO more respectful. Nevermind Kate’s smile, again!
    Meghan: coat seemed to be very similar to the one from the first engagement photo shoot. The boots seemed loose on the calves. IMHO those beige and brown hues did not favour her.
    I don’t understand one thing. Nearly all were dressed for winter but Sophie had 3/4 sleeves and no scarf. Some of the women wore shoes, others boots. One a seemingly fur hat, others fascinators and others other kinds of head pieces? All participating at the same church event in wintertime.

    Belated Merry Christmas and season’s greeting to all! And a small token of appreciation from yours truly to all fabulous, amazing, witty , intelligent and funny CB writers, moderators and posters alike! Half a token with my humble excuses because I can’t get the link through:
    Youtube video: ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” live at the Opera 1976. Great tune, funny costumes, amazingly bad lip singing and obvious lack of coordination among the performers but hugely deep curtsies at the end and a beautiful now Queen Silvia of Sweden. Loud applause for #CB, #community

    • Merritt says:

      It is not a requirement to bow the head during a curtsy. Sophie, Beatrice, and Eugenie all look at the Queen and smile when they do it.

      • SoulSPA says:

        Hmmm. Maybe you’re right. Maybe the three ladies you mentioned have a different relationship with TQ. Two granddaughters and seemingly Sophie is TQ’s fave.
        Anyways, I made that remark because Katie stood out for me among the four – the two couples I mean. And I always get the impression of Katie being ill-adjusted and that her smile is mainly a facade to hide from being uncomfortable. Well, most of the time.

    • perplexed says:

      I thought Harry and Will had their heads down because they were literally bowing with their heads as men do.

    • African Sun says:

      Kate was smiling more than normal for the money shot. I love her smile.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Many of the British royal ladies bow their head at the beginning of the curtsy, then raise their head and smile while rising.

  26. whatever says:

    I see Meghan has taken to theme dressing already lol…it looks like she is wearing a Christmas Pudding on her head. The rest of her outfit was underwhelming as well. But I will say its nice to see Meghan and Kate looking happy and relaxed with each other.

  27. Ollie says:

    Wow Louise. She may become the tallest woman in the family.

    Kate’s coat works only für Christmas. Very festive. The hat is very Anna Karenina.
    She’s glowing and looks super healthy.

    Meghan is short but dresses like a tall woman. That coat skrinks and widens her visibly.
    That hat is ugly but funny. It doesn’t sit right.
    I love her handbag.

    She removed her gloves just to show off her ring and always touched her hair and made grimaces. She was extrem nervous and even looked at William and Kate for guidance.

    Sophie looked out of place with her outfit, but she looked awesome.

    • Jayna says:

      Sophie looked good, but I it was sooooo out of place in this setting. It looked like she attended the wrong function by mistake. LOL

    • Elizabeth says:

      Meghan isn’t short! She’s 5’5″, which is average.

      • Veronica says:

        Meghan comes up to Kate’s nose if you look at pictures. She isnt 5ft 5in unless Kate is 6 ft tall! They always make you taller for modeling and acting! And Meghan looks petite.
        She dresses for a tall woman, as others said. Hopefully, she will find her style.

      • SoulSPA says:

        I think Meghan is 5’5. From looking the short video made outdoors on the occasion of the engagement annuncement. I used two pictures – one front side and one from back.
        Front side: the top of her head is roughly at his eye level. His front head plus the rest of the scalp could measure around 15 cm or 6 inches.
        Back picture: her hills seem to be around 3 inches that’s about 7.5 cm.
        So I deducted 9 inches from his reported 6.2 feet. That’s 187cm (6.2) minus 22.5 cm (9 in) that gave me about 165cm that is 5’5 (give or take 0.5cm or about a fifth of an inch).

    • liriel says:

      You’re so right. Anna Karenina, touche! So Russian-like. Now we see why Meghan shouldn’t be inspired too much but Bessetty – she is too short, petite for such style. Her being 5.7 was a spread lie. I’m seriously disappointed in her fashion-wise. Oh, and we always knew that but pictures can lie. Only after I saw H, M, K and W did I realise Kate’s the prettiest and Meghan is cute.

      • Veronica says:

        I think Kate is beautiful in some pictures. I like her without her hair near her face. I think Meghan is also beautiful, gorgeous smiley eyes, but less striking when surrounded by so many tall people. It is harder to be the center of attention in a crowd when shorter than everyone else by a lot.
        And her choice of colors/lack of colors didnt help.

      • liriel says:

        I agree with you! That’s why I mentioned her being petite doesn’t work in her favour next to tall Kate, William and Harry.

  28. Guest says:

    Both ladies look beautiful.

    • Bonzo says:

      Agreed. Unlike most commenters, I really liked Kate’s coat. It was festive and colorful — perfect for Christmas. I don’t mind her hat, tho’ I would have gone with something less furry and more sophisticated.

      While I thought Meg’s coat was a bit bland, it may have been intentional that she tone it down on her first big outing with the family. Let the higher ups on the totem pole have the eye-catching colors — like ORANGE! — which I loved on QE2 and HOT PINK! on Camilla.

      I kinda liked the hat and really liked her boots. I thought she looked great.

      • minx says:

        I liked Kate’s coat too, although I wish the fit and length would have been better. But I’m a sucker for plaids at the holidays. I even liked her hat.

      • Becks says:

        I actually like Kate’s oufit too. It’s perfect for the occasion.

  29. Jayna says:

    I loved Kate’s outfit. I thought it was bright and cheerful for Christmas, and fit with going to a Christmas church service. She’s still carrying her pregnancy well, and the coat flattered that. I love the black hat on her auburn hair. She did look happy and serene.

    Meghan’s outfit was just okay. Very drab and no color (no blush) to her face to offset it. So everything just became bland from head to toe. The awful color hat didn’t help. I must be the only one who didn’t like her hair. I thought it looked stringy. Maybe she needs to get rid of the extensions and cut her hair a tad shorter to a few inches below her shoulder and wear it like she used to do on promo for Suits. There’s some fantastic photos of her with long hair (but a little shorter) with some long layers in it. The coat dwarfed her in some photos with it all bunched up the way she does it. And she’s much more petite than everyone else, so looked even tinier in that coat. But still no faux pas. She looked put together.

    Watching the video of them walking out of the service, Meghan seemed nervous. Kate and William seemed to be talking to her and helping her, and she seemed to listen to them more than responding to Harry. I think she was so nervous having all of the family there and worrying about having to do her curtsy, which she did a good job, but I’m no expert on it.

    It was nice to see them all getting along and Kate and Will talking to her
    and making sure she was okay.

    I thought William’s outfit was nice. I liked the dark coat, etc., and looked good next to Kate’s ensemble. Harry’s coat was ill-fitting around the pocket area. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with his coat.

    • Kayla says:

      I’m sorry but Meghan’s hair is not stringy, black people’s hair and/half black biracial can have thin, dry, brittle etc type of hair to show off damage but stringy is something it’s never gonna be and it’s healthy looking and well maintained; also she’s not wearing weave as soon as daily mail said this people have used it, Meghan is not wearing weave, she doesn’t need to, her hair is already thick and full, now could be she wearing extensions …sure, but her hair has been that length for more than a year.

      • Jayna says:

        I said it looked stringy in this outing, off to the side and with the wind catching it at times. I wasn’t inferring she has stringy hair all the time. It’s obvious she has thick hair, and usually her hair is one of her best features. But trimming her ends wouldn’t hurt.

      • Snowflake says:

        I thought weave and extensions were the same thing? Can you explain the differences? Thanks

      • African Sun says:

        @Snowflake, weaves for black women have wefts. Using thread and needle, the weave wefts that are sewn into the hair through cornrows (plaits that lie down on the scalp essentially). But this is for basic weaves for example – Beyonce & Rih have more complicated ones called lacefronts etc.

        Meghan does not wear weaves. Her hair is absolutely 100% hers though she might have relaxed her hair or do Brazilian blow outs as it is bone straight, and her pix when younger shows a stronger curl pattern.

      • Hotsauceinmybag says:

        Kayla I have to kindly disagree. I’m biracial with super curly hair and when I get my hair blown out if someone puts too much product in it during the styling process then it can look really stringy throughout for me. That being said, I think her hair looks wonderful here and as you said, is probably extremely well maintained. I’ve read that she does keratin plus a Brazilian blowout which can be protective and limit heat damage to an extent.

      • Fleurucci says:

        If you have straight, dry, processed hair and apply too much leave in conditioner or which ever moisturizing styler/cream, im pretty sure your hair can look stringy, no matter if your hair was curly or not before becoming dry and processed.
        I watched the beginning of suits and Megan’s hair always looked nice, not stringy or over processed 🙂

    • Anna says:

      I completely agree with you!

      Kate looked occasion appropriate, and I know she loves theme dressing and sometimes its too much…but this time I loved it…the hat looked Russian yes, but made her look cute.
      Also, the shoes and coat combo might be weird…but again the Queen pulls it off since years, and I think Kate thinks its how royal dressing is…
      Meghan for me looked a bit out of place. Like all these Safari colors…with her skin, eyes and hair just don’t look elegant and christmassy.
      The coat made her look short…but again all long coats look weird on people who are shorter than 180 cm…the boots seem too big for her and the hat is just funny…also that bag is a summer collection one? Again….safari feel.
      It seems obv she tries to play it safe, but it also is sure that she has no clue what to wear since shes engaged….
      Like she had this Suits style since years….aka business casual, and it looked good on her…as she is not a twenty-something anymore. But now I think she is confused and looks at all these role models u guys mentioned…but all those are tall, model-like women, and she is not.
      This coat reminds me of her camel maxmara coat, which she wore many times with a simple white shirt and jeans…even that coat is for tall women, but somehow she looked good in the oversized thing (although I remember it touched the floor on her, even though it originally shouldn’t have :D).
      ALSO, totally agree with the fact that she looks so confident and well dressed alone (before her royal time), but now she seems nervous and invisible smiling like a crazy person all the time 😀 She will gain some confidence in her new life, find her own style again hopefully… like Kate did during the years…(even though she still seems uncomfortable sometimes when all the attention is on her).

  30. NLopez says:

    I think Meghan &Kate both look nice. Im a sucker for any plaid. Eugenie was best dressed. Her coat was gorgeous and different.

  31. Janetdr says:

    My two cents: M’s hat goes well with her boots. I can’t help wondering how they would look with a black coat instead of tan, or how she would have looked with black boots and coat and a brighter hat. I don’t love the hat, but there are traditions to keep up! Who thought orange was a good color for the queen? Kate in plaid and buttons of course, but she looks good.

  32. Jb says:

    Meghan’s coat is essentially an alpaca blanket – I love it!! I loved the browns togetger even if the hat shape was a tad bon-bon-ish. As a person who hates the cold I think some of her choices are to be warm…

  33. island_girl says:

    I liked Kate’s coat and LOVED Megan’s. I thought both ladies looked lovely and both brought their hat game. Everyone seemed to be attentive to Meg and getting her through the walk and the curtsy. I hope the rest of their day went well.

  34. babykitten says:

    How tall are Sophie and Edward? Louise looks so tall.

    • SoulSPA says:

      @babykitten: someone said Sophie’s 5’4 that’s about 160 cm. I don’t know her height, or Edward’s. I always thought she’d be about 5’7 but it’s hard to tell if she doesn’t stand next to someone whose height is known. As if someone’s height were a state secret or something like that!
      ETA Lady Louise is such a sweetheart and looks like a lady!

  35. Lila says:

    The good news is that she is marrying her love, the bad news is that she will have to wear odd hats in the future.

  36. Shambles says:

    They didn’t “shoot daggers at each other”? Why would they ever do that? It’s a highly, highly publicized event and they know the world is watching. It would be ridiculous and petty if they did, especially at their first public appearance together. They’re grown women, not middle school girls, so it’s kind of insulting to both to imply they would act that way. Also, we have zero reason to think they dislike each other aside from a weird old Lainey blind. Sorry, that seems completely unnecessary, but maybe I’m just thinking too much about it after getting minimal sleep on my grandma’s couch. *shrugs*

    I do think it’s interesting that W + K were holding hands.

    • Jayna says:

      They hold hands every Christmas service outing.

      And I agree that it’s an insulting comment to make about two mature women who are with close brothers, especially.

      • Shambles says:

        Jayna,

        I didn’t know that! Thanks for the tidbit. It’s Will’s special once-a-year PDA? Lol.

        And thanks for responding to my small rant, too. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who was put off by that remark.

    • Plantpal says:

      So far, I haven’t seen any comments about Andrew’s eldest daughter’s scowling in almost every photograph. Is it just me? I get his daughters mixed up; I believe the eldest is Beatrice? She looks grumpy, IMHO

    • Maria says:

      I read that Harry is not going to participate in the Boxing Day shoot out of respect for Meghan who is against shooting.

      • babykitten says:

        If that’s true, I love him for it. I know some women have no problem with it, but I just can’t be with a man who hunts.

  37. Starryfish says:

    I’m glad Meghan wore a proper hat rather than a fascinator, hopefully that bodes well for further hat wearing occasions. Kate looks like a fancy nutcracker, it cracks me up. Autumn Phillips was best dressed of the bunch.

    • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

      Now I cannot unsee the “Fancy Nutcracker”-lol!!!

    • notasugarhere says:

      I like how the Phillips family co-ordinated. Autumn in red dress under a navy coat with red piping, one daughter in red, the other daughter in navy with red piping like mum. Peter was the odd man out with the brown coat, although it looks like a navy suit with bright blue tie underneath.

      • SoulSPA says:

        I saw that too, @nota! I wish we say more of them! Ditto Zara and Mike and that cutie pie of Mia!!!!! BTW if only for the fail pics I’ve seen, are they expecting?

      • notasugarhere says:

        I don’t think they are expecting, although if they are I hope it ends happily this time. Zara has never been a skinny minny and didn’t lose all of the weight after Mia was born. I think it is a case off too-tight casual dress while on vacation. That’s just based on her overall shape – doesn’t look like a baby bump to me.

        If they were, it would be surprising if they flew all the way to Australia in the early months of pregnancy. Does she have her women in racing promotional event in Australia this year? That falls around Christmas iirc.

      • CynicalAnn says:

        Agreed.

      • Princessk says:

        Zara looks very pregnant to my eyes.

  38. Jenx says:

    I thought Meghan looked toned down – no Hollywood make-up, suitably beige so as not to upstage the RF who were really bright colourwise. And Kate’s coat! A thing of my nightmares! It is so like a horrid coat my mother made me wear in grade 3. Shudder.

  39. Ikr says:

    Kate completely outshoned Meghan. She looked regal and was glowing.

    Meghan’s outfit looked drab. Her make up and the beige/brown outfit all blended in together. Meghan’s hair also looked horrible. Needs a haircut.

    • liriel says:

      Exactly. We expected things to be opposite. Honestly Kate is tall and is glowing now, she didn’t need a showy outfit, this one wasn’t her best yet she outshone Meghan.

  40. manta says:

    Sorry but the hair across her face and the subsequent need to brush it off one picture out of 2 is as annoying as it was for her future sister in law.

  41. Jayna says:

    It’s amazing that at 96 how great Prince Phillip looks He’s still tall and walking strong, unaided. So many men seem to shrink with old age. I love Prince Phillip’s coat, also.

    • babykitten says:

      He will always be Tywin Lannister to me, and scares me a little.

      • African Sun says:

        LOL I am wrecked! Now trying to remember Tywin Lannister evil quotes.

      • babykitten says:

        I can see Philip sending off Charles with cold, emotionless eyes to take a nap. And I imagine Charles didn’t respond as Joffrey: I’m.Not.Tired!

        He’s reminded me of Tywin Lannister forever. Both very attractive older men, cold, penetrating eyes, air of superiority and only submitting to his queen at a bare minimum. Arrogant and nearly emotionless, and convinced absolutely everyone is beneath him.

        And I think both men have the look of a Nazi.

    • Saucy says:

      A life of leisure, paid for by others, and the best healthcare/food/etc. will do that for one’s dotage…

      • minx says:

        Saucy, +10000000.
        All that nice leisurely time in the country, fresh air and long walks…no worries about money or healthcare. The best food. Yep.

      • irene says:

        Right; an awful childhood and 6 years fighting in WW2 is the kind of start in life guaranteed to get you to 96.

      • SoulSPA says:

        Please don’t forget being a head of state for over 50 years and having to deal with lots of personal and family drama … That we know of and who knows about all that we don’t know of. Surely that’s a lot, more than other people can bear or even imagine. In the adult life of a woman that is over 90. Pitty, really, but not at HMTQ. And I am not even British.

      • notasugarhere says:

        irene, so many people forget Philip’s childhood. Born on the kitchen table, father abandoned the family, mother deaf and institutionalized part of the time. While he had very important connections, he was “the poor royal relation” until he started getting his feet under him in the navy.

    • KiddVicious says:

      I love his coat too. I noticed it before I noticed what everyone else was wearing. PP looks a lot healthier these days. Retirement looks good on him.

      • anon says:

        no wonder. gosh, at 95 can you imagine how much of a toll his schedule had on him? and being amongst large crowds must bring on more infections. Glad he can enjoy his old age and just focus on himself.

  42. perplexed says:

    It’s weird what a difference clothes make to someone’s looks. In Hollywood clothing she looks like a “star.” But now that she has to wear “proper” professional looking she looks like a regular person to me. Even her actual face looks slightly different (it looks longer – did she get a different make-up artist?)

    It does seem like she really wants to quit in though. There were certain points where she looked bit nervous, and given her previous show of confidence it surprised me.

    • anon says:

      she does look different, almost like eva longoria. i’m sure hollywood photos were photoshopped to whatever they thought would look best.

      • liriel says:

        Exactly, when I watched her ‘Hollywood” pictures I was convinced she’s stunning but I see she’s pretty but not gorgeous. It really surprised me! Especially seeing her next to pregnant Kate, Kate looked like a model and she looked like a cute nervous girl. I feel a relief, celebrities are not that pretty *I really thought Meghan was a stunner and I didn’t even have to see her without make up, in gym clothes and gym her to notice*

    • liriel says:

      I agree with you but maybe it’s not just clothing but a lot of factors (photoshop, angles) She looks very pretty but nothing more. I’m surprised to say it but now I’ve realized Kate’s stunning.

    • perplexed says:

      Sorry, the word “quit” should have been “fit.” I meant to say she does seem like she wants to fit in.

  43. Petty Riperton says:

    Meh to the christmasy plaid, I think Meghan played it safe nothing showy. Meghan still out dressed Kate even though she had to wear that weird hat thing since that’s what they do over there.

    Damn it I totally thought Meghan and Kate would hate each other oh well there is still time for it.

    • notasugarhere says:

      I think the brown/camel tones are a good playing it safe template. Whether or not they like each other, it is unlikely to show up in public. You put your game face on regardless.

    • minx says:

      Why would you think they would hate each other?
      The brothers are close and I think their wives will be, too.

    • Princessk says:

      @Petty…why do you want them to hate each other? Seeing them at church together makes me want the four of them to get along even more for the good of the RF and the UK. But the truth is that Meghan would look stunning in a potato sack, she is that beautiful whereas Kate I would describe as very pretty.

  44. L says:

    I’ve read Meghan is around 5’2″. I’m an I inch shorter than her and also a petite frame. I’m here to say it is really hard to find proper fitting clothes when you have this build. Regular sized clothing doesn’t fit in the shoulders or arms. She really needs petite size (or custom) to get coats and tailored clothing to really fit properly. Likewise with tall boots.

    • liriel says:

      5’2 not 5’5? It makes sense. When I heard she was 5’7 I was like ‘no way’.

    • babykitten says:

      Google says Meghan is between 5’5″ and 5’7″, so she’s not short.

      • Olive says:

        @babykitten every actress and actor lies about their height, so google repeats those lies. see, famously, tom cruise. there’s no way she’s 5’7″. probably 5’4″.

      • babykitten says:

        You’re probably right. As a nurse I can say that men tend to lie about their height. I’m 5’9″, and men who are obviously shorter than me claim to be 5’10” or higher. I try not to giggle. I guess it’s like women lying about our weight.

    • Ollie says:

      Maybe we will never know but i bet she is somewhere between 5ft2-5ft4.
      Every actress makes herself taller so i wouldn’t believe Google. IMDB even lists her as 5ft7.
      No way. Google says Kate is 5ft9. Look how much taller she is in the pictures above

      • liriel says:

        No way she’s near 5″7. We disputed Kate being 5ft9, some said 5’8 but it doesn’t matter. Every actress lie, I think Meghan is around 5ft4, it was good to compare her height with Kate

      • Nancy says:

        @liriel: Lol, every actress lies! You’re probably right. If she is 5’3″, she’s on her tippy toes. Hmm, if she’s adding inches to her frame (what’s the shame of being petite, pictures don’t lie), is she subtracting years from her age like actresses do as well??!! Oh the conspiracy theories begin. If she is the age she claims, and Harry wants kids, I’m guessing she will be pregnant very soon after the wedding. I envisioned him with a blonde Brit, but he seems to be a bit of a rebel, like his mother was, and how much more controversial could a 36 year old American actress be as his bride.

    • Cee says:

      I am 5’2 and stood next to Harry’s wax figure in London and she is NOT 5’2. I was wearing flats and barely touched his shoulder, I look like a garden gnome next to him.
      She’s more 5’5, IMO.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Are there any photos of her close to Sophie? I think Sophie is maybe 5’4″ on tall day, so look for pictures of them next to each other then look for heel heights. That is a height guess, based on pictures of Sophie through the years. She’s a little taller than Marie in Denmark, a little shorter than Mary of Denmark (but usually wears shoes with 1-2 inch shorter heels than Mary).

      • Olive says:

        weird, I figured Sophie would be tall since Lady Louise is so tall!

      • notasugarhere says:

        Lady Louise has lapped her mama in height, although Sophie wears heels so it isn’t as noticeable. Sophie really isn’t all that tall; Louise’s height comes from Edward and Prince Philip.

  45. Lol says:

    I liked her coat. Hats ok, loved the boots, not really on board with the purse. I think she toned it down so not to “upstage” the other royal women. She would have torn apart if she wore a bright color like the queen and Camilla.

    Maybe she was just nervous with the situation, who woudnt be. I saw video of people including her in conversation so that was nice. I think her curtsy was fantastic.

    Either way the haters already found something to trash her over from yesterday. The pic of her tongue which was most likely a pic of licking her lips. But oh boy, was she called a lot if nasty names over that.

    • Harla says:

      Regarding the tongue pic, I thought that a young person in the crowd stuck his/her tongue out and Meghan was jokingly sticking her’s out in reply.

    • Princessk says:

      I think that Meghan spontaneously stuck out the tip of her tongue as an exclamation to something that happened in the crowd. Don’t we all at times put our tongue out a bit when we laugh or smile at something funny? But of course the imbeciles have now leapt on it and will never let it go.

  46. Citresse says:

    I also didn’t like the coats they chose but I did like Kate’s hat and shoes. As for MM, why does she insist on tying her coat like it’s a bathrobe? MM must have borrowed a few clothes from Kate, such as her hat. MM has lost her individuality already, it’s a speed record into BRF programming.

    • Suze says:

      It’s a group event and I think she’s going along with the uniform.

      But I agree with you in that she needs to lose these belted oversized coats pronto. The may be warm and comfortable but they do not photograph well on her. Combined with slouchy boots and flowing hair, she looks like she is drowning in her clothes. Wear a fitted, buttoned coat with slouchy boots, pull the hair into a ponytail, and she would look much more pulled together.

      • Citresse says:

        I also think a fedora style hat on MM would be spectacular. As for Beatrice, I’m surprised there hasn’t been more attention with regard to her choice of footwear. She wore what looked like Keds running shoes on the church walk. I’m all for comfort but that was a little OTT. But perhaps there’s more to the story such as a minor back injury (maybe she’s getting into a workout routine?) we don’t know.

      • notasugarhere says:

        There were two different church services and many sites have combined the two. I think for the formal service she wore black mid-heel boots.

      • Maria says:

        Which brings me to my point: shouldn’t the two future heads of the Church of England, Charles and Wiliam, be at church on Xmas Eve with the two ninety-year olds? I mean even Andrew and his family went. Pretty bad optics. Both Charles and William were MIA.

      • Princessk says:

        @Citresse …..you are right , let us hope that Meghan wears a fedora style hat sometime, she would look wonderful. I have a couple myself. I also think that Meghan will look wonderful all in black at the Cenotaph.

  47. Mich says:

    I adore the sleeves of Meghan’s coat. Would look better with buttons (even hidden) than the bathrobe tie though. The boots look like they are falling off. And the hair. Sigh. Note to Meghan, when you are going to be standing outside in the wind, pull it back.

  48. emerald eyes says:

    Oh come on, folks! Don’t flag in your Markle enthusiasm. This is her new job and she is doing just what some on here predicted, going along to get along. I think the coat is super ugly myself, so I am 100% with Kaiser. It’s a roomy bathrobe that doesn’t photograph well, but was probably warm. I also think it’s a particular brand of royal ugly that will endear herself to the in-laws and help her ease herself into the family. She has a spot of Meg fun in the handbag and boots, and that is perfect.

    Someone upthread says that now she looks more ordinary, and I bet Meg is very happy to hear that. I have a feeling that is exactly what she is trying to do here.

    She can shine at her individual events, but she will defer when she appears with the group, and she does it very well here. And the fact that she seems friendly with Kate is a good sign, people. She needs allies within that family. This woman is no fool.

    • liriel says:

      But it also means that she looks normal, you could see “Meghans” on the street. I thought she was a stunner yet here, with make up, styled hair she looked short and pretty but that’s all. It’s actually refreshing to see.

  49. Mel says:

    I don’t like Kate’s outfit at all, but her face looks really beautiful.

  50. anon says:

    what i notices is that she never lets go of his arm.. a bit wierd to walk that way, for both of them.

  51. perplexed says:

    I’m wondering if the coat (or maybe it’s the boots rather than the coat) would have looked better if she got it …fitted? Some of the stuff looks ….baggy. The colours beige and brown aren’t terrible in and of themselves (a lot of professional women wear these colours and don’t look particularly boring or odd to me) — it’s more the fitting I think that looks off. But. I can’t figure out if it’s the coat or the boots. The boots look odd to me.

  52. Karen says:

    MM’s coat, boots and bag were pretty-just not together. I think she deliberately dialed it down. Smart move.

    I don’t know why Kate refuses to wear maternity clothes. The coat she wore is a pea coat-meant to wear with pants. She insists on wearing short coats, short dresses during her pregnancy. Don’t get me started on opaque pantyhose and shoes. Why can’t she wear cute boots? And why the citrine earrings with that coat? She has so many earrings!

    • Tourmaline says:

      ‘cos Kate always has to show off her LEGS LEGS LEGS LEGS………and wears really short stuff when pregnant to make up for the fact she can’t wear her clothes as form fitting as usual.
      I think with the citrine earrings she was trying to play off the gold coat buttons?

      Meghan is really a tiny slip of a girl isn’t she? Kate looked Amazonian next to her! I thought Meghan’s makeup looked perfect.

      • SoulSPA says:

        One cannot fight genetics but Meghan has more personality and life and work experience than Kate, and they are nearly the same age. Meghan’s 6 or so months on top of Kate’s are nearly light years ahead. Speaking skills too. Yes, the bar *is* low. I cannot help think of that. Sigh.

      • Mathilde says:

        Opaque tights in the winter are rather commonly worn and just look normal to me. Cannot see anything wrong with Kate’s outfit. Meghan on the other hand is still learning how to dress it seems, in the conditions she finds herself in.

  53. Meow says:

    Kate’s coat is FAR too tight, if she doesn’t want to be bigger than a size 6 then why get pregnant?

    • terraS says:

      and too short also, her one dimensional theme dressing and her penchant for cutesy little girl style really does her no favor, she actually looks older than MM

    • babykitten says:

      Because that’s the number one way to get a child? Many body-conscious women have children.

  54. Alexandria says:

    Both Kate and Meghan don’t look smashing but I guess their outfits are ok for church. I don’t like their coats but I prefer Meghan’s if I had to choose. Meghan can try wearing fitting boots and smaller lapels, because she looks overwhelmed. And a nice chignon. Both ladies look pretty nice and good to see Kate looking a bit more relaxed?

  55. Digital Unicorn (aka Betti) says:

    For me the Xmas day style awards go to Sophie Wessex and TQ. I lived Sophie’s outfit.

    Meghan was ok, liked the coat and hat. Kate was ok but as usual she makes great individual pieces look cheap with the unfortunate way they are put together – even with a stylist she still can’t put a good outfit together.

    Meghan certainly brings the premiere red carpet poise to these events which makes Katie Keen look even more awkward with her rictus smile on full display.

    • Jayna says:

      “Meghan certainly brings the premiere red carpet poise to these events which makes Katie Keen look even more awkward with her rictus smile on full display.”

      You have to be kidding? Not this event. Meghan looks very nervous, unsure, etc. Kate looks poised, relaxed, not awkward, great smile.

      You must be the only one on here who thinks that regarding this particular outing. I’m not talking in general, just this outing.

    • minx says:

      I think it’s the opposite. KM actually looks pretty, happy and confident. MM looks like she’s still finding her way a bit.

    • CynicalAnn says:

      From watching the video, Meghan was really nervous and not her usual confident self. She perked up when she and Harry were talking to people in the crowd. But when they were walking in and out of church she looked very unsure of herself.

  56. Honey says:

    I’m tired of Harry’s light navy blue suits. There. I’ve said it. Did he order like 10 of them? Can he not wear a darker blue suit or even suits in different colors? Charles does.

    • Jayna says:

      LOL I agree. And his pockets were a mess on this coat. a dark blue coat and suit would have also complemented Meghan’s outfit more.

      • Maria says:

        And why is Harry’s coat so short?

      • KiddVicious says:

        Yeah, that coat doesn’t even look warm. And it would look better in a darker shade of blue.

        I like Will’s suit and coat. Very regal. Harry should have worn his coat like Will’s, at least he’d look warmer.

      • Princessk says:

        Poor Harry has been on his own for years, without a female figure in his life, his wardrobe has obviously suffered. Meghan will change that. William has had Kate and Carole to keep him in line. Even Diana had an influence on Charles and he became much more of the style icon he is after marrying her.

        But for pure and effortless style I doubt whether the Duke and Duchess of Windsor will ever be beaten or even matched.

  57. HoustonGrl says:

    Kaiser, did you notice Kate’s coat had buttons on the front AND back? I think that was her Christmas present to you.

    Meghan looked so nervous! I can only imagine how stressful: first Christmas with the inlaws, royal inlaws no less, plus being in a foreign country and apparently her dog broke its legs?! I don’t normally feel sorry for her and think she’s been a bit tone deaf so far, but yesterday I just wanted to cheer her on and send a hug.

    • notasugarhere says:

      For most of the photos I’ve seen online, she doesn’t look nervous during most of this event or the public walkabout. A little nervous before her first public curtsy, otherwise relaxed and happy.

  58. spidey says:

    I see the spirit of Christmas is alive and well on Celebitchy! 🎅

    So I’ll throw my 2penn’orth in. I actually think Kate looks fine and like the hat. However, I think Meghan’s outfit is awful – the boots and coat look like a little girl dressing up in her mum’s clothes and as far as the hat is concerned I don’t even know where to start! Sorry Meghan lovers.

  59. Sharon Lea says:

    The coat was so similar to her engagement coat, I don’t understand why she would repeat it so quickly. The purse was very cute.

    Can’t help but remember last year how it was all about the Cambridges spending time with the Middletons and they all went to church together in Buckleberry and Carole put together a shooting party on Boxing Day for Wills. The Middleton clan isn’t reported on much lately.

    • Digital Unicorn (aka Betti) says:

      The Mids got backlash after last years stunt which was the result of a Will tantrum over not getting his own way – it was speculated that he wanted Mids invited to Sandringham but was refused. It looked really bad on the whole lot of them esp as TQ and DoE we’re both sick.

      • Sharon Lea says:

        That’s right Digital Unicorn, different grand kids took turns visiting Philip in the hospital that week, the papers kept reporting ‘TQ hadn’t been seen’ in so many days. Do you think Wm got in trouble? Doubt anyone has the nerve to say boo to him.

  60. mazzie says:

    I like the concept of MM’s outfit but it’s not fitted properly. She’s fairly petite so fit becomes doubly important. She could have had the boots taken in so they fit around the ankle and bag less. The coat, which looks like it’s supposed to be oversized, is a bit overwhelming. I like the hat, it’s a sophisticated shape. Also, the colour scheme is good: neutral and blends in. She doesn’t need to stand out as she’s the new family member-to-be.

  61. Skins says:

    “And the Oscar for Best Actress goes to……”

  62. Bluthfan says:

    I actually loved Meghan’s ensemble. She does a good job of wearing funky, classic clothes if that makes any sense. Kate dresses like she is 3 decades older or a Talbot’s shopper. Her clothes have no style to them and yet they are so expensive. I can at least understand why Meghan’s clothes are expensive. They have style.

    I thought it was interesting that Meghan, William and Harry lowered their heads when bowing/curtsy to the Queen while Kate stared straight at her. Isn’t she supposed to lower her head or is that not required?

    • Lexa says:

      @Bluthfan I don’t think head bowing in a curtesy is required. Sophie, Beatrice, Eugenie, Autumn, etc are all usually looking up, and a quick google shows even Diana kept her head up. My guess is that Meghan bowed her head as an addition sign of respect (not being married into the family yet) or out of nerves and a need to break eye contact for a second.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Videos vs. still photos. Most of the British royal ladies bow their head while descending during the curtsy, then raise their head and smile while rising. Often all we see is a still photo of the smile while rising.

      Ex. when you see photos of Sophie performing a curtsy to HM at Ascot, more often the photo published is the one of her with her head up and smiling while still with her knees bent. You have to look harder to find the photo right before that, where her head is lowered.

      • Lexa says:

        I totally get your point about video vs photos, but I did actually search through YouTube out of curiosity before responding. A lot of these head bows must be a split second or such a small movement they’re not noticeable. There aren’t a ton of examples but I did find a few. For instance, I can’t see Camilla doing one in this video at Prince George’s christening: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1Hlfa-DjVJE or here, meeting the queen and king of Jordan: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KuSAT8tCJRQ nor can I see Diana doing it in this video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=agFWF5r1SBs and while the angle on this isn’t great, Sophie doesn’t bow her head here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xh5fFuLVyqM and it looks like Lady Sarah Chatto a few of the other ladies aren’t bowing their heads here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=orFajH6vKV4 and Charlene likewise keeps her head up: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m03crfdgDu8 So… I don’t know. Maybe the rules about this have been relaxed, but when I was taught to curtesy about 10 years back, the head bow wasn’t explicitly taught.

      • notasugarhere says:

        They all (except Kate Middleton) did the head bow as part of their formal curtsy to HM at their weddings. Ditto at places like Ascot, where again you can find photos of them doing the head bow during the lowering. Only one I haven’t seen lowering her head of Princess Michael of Kent – not a great role model.

        Charlene and Mette-Marit do full-on formal curtsies complete with head bows with HM. Look for videos of formal occasions in particular.

      • Unoriginal Commenter says:

        Would anyone mind explaining curtsy/bowing etiquette to us? I watched the video after reading these comments and it looked like no one behind Kate, William, Meghan, and Harry bowed or curtsyed.

      • babykitten says:

        @Lexa, did you notice Camilla’s odd greeting of HM? She starts to bend down with pursed lips as if to kiss the queen’s cheek, then appears to kiss the queen’s shoulder, quickly bob a curtsy, then moves off to kiss Philip.

      • Princessk says:

        @Unoriginalcommentator….The only reason why the FabFour bowed and curtsied was because they had been staying at Amner House and not Sandringham and had not seen the Queen that morning at breakfast, and so it was their opportunity to formally greet her.

      • Unoriginal Commenter says:

        @PrincessK—gotcha. Thank you for explaining!

    • graymatters says:

      My understanding is that the neck bows are equivalent to a curtsey. Meghan’s bowed head/curtsey combo was a more formal iteration. I’ve seen it referred to as a state curtsey somewhere. Kate’s was fine. A little short, and I don’t like how her knees drift apart, but fine.

      • notasugarhere says:

        KM doesn’t seem to get that her knees aren’t supposed to bend out like a ballet curtsy. It is one leg behind the other, bend both while trying to keep one knee behind the other. Not one foot behind the other, bend both knees out sideways. Same mistake she made with the curtsy to King Philippe.

        As LAK has pointed out, Mike Tindall does a great curtsy.

      • SoulSPA says:

        Yes @nota, I remember. Where are you, LAK!

  63. perplexed says:

    Honestly, I think they’re both boring-looking in *this* set of photos. But maybe they’re supposed to be. (I thought Kate’s coat could have been longer — she has the height so extra inches on the coat wouldn’t have hurt her).

    Sophie seemed to be the one to go va-va-voom, and, well, at this event she looks kind of weird (well, when I compare her to everyone else who looks kind of measured and staid).

  64. CynicalAnn says:

    While it’s not my favorite outfit, and I agree that her coats are dwarfing her more petite frame, she was going for understated during her first big group outing. I watched the video and she looks so nervous, not her usual confident self-and seeing Harry/Will/Kate give her instructions (“okay, when we get to the bottom of the stairs, we’re all going to stand there, and then right when the Queen looks over at us, you’re going to curtsy”) and hanging on to Harry’s arm the whole time, I felt bad for her. It’s got to be totally overwhelming. In the past, when I’ve seen her interviews, she’s seemed a bit affected and very practiced-this was the first time I thought she seemed really unsure and genuine. I think she’ll grow into it-but she’s never going to want to outshine the Queen or the senior royals when they’re all together.

  65. Shannon says:

    I don’t mind the hat or the color combo at all (I wear tan/darker brown combo quite a bit myself), and I LOVE her boots and purse. But the coat? I like the color but not the way it fits her. It looks too bulky, something a little more fitted maybe? I honestly have a coat that fits like that, but I’m just a pleb with not too much money to spend on expensive clothes. I hate wearing it though LOL

  66. BegoneOrangeCheeto says:

    I have to say, I really felt for Meg here. She was nervous and it showed. It actually made me like her a bit more. I never really could relate to the glamorous and completely put together Meghan. I do think her coat overwhelmed her – as a petite woman myself, it’s easy for clothes to do that. But I think she looked nice and not overly glam, which, after the 75K dress flop, was a smart move.

    I don’t know if this sounds weird or not but I really just want to be her friend. I’m sure this whole thing cannot be easy at all even though she and Harry are genuinely in love.

    • perplexed says:

      “It actually made me like her a bit more.”

      It kind of did the same for me. I prefer authenticity in general.

      I get why she had to be practiced and affected as an actress, but that kind of persona where every movement looks rehearsed to get attention tends to grate on me after awhile.

    • emerald eyes says:

      It endeared her to me, too. I always like the idea of Meghan but the overegging of the pudding by some of her fans really put me off. Reading some comments made her sound like a goddess sent to live among us and show us the way.

      I do think there will be some major adjustments for her. I think she’ll do well, but the bumps in the road will be there.

      However, she seems more relatable here rather than a paragon, and I think that is going to help her with the general public.

      • BegoneOrangeCheeto says:

        I agree. I think that’s why I like her outfit here too. It’s not over the top glam. She’s just put together professionally, albeit a bit too large. It’s actually something I would wear.

        I do think she needs to be mindful of the optics of high cost items – people are going to come down a lot harder on her than on Kate, for example. It’s not fair but that’s how A LOT of people are, unfortunately. Women of color always get far more criticism than white women.

  67. Lexa says:

    Count me in the camp that thought that everything looked slightly too big on Meghan. I liked Kate’s festive outfit (though it’s really more FESTIVE!!! than festive) but I think she should have left the top button undone to relax the look a bit.

    I’m just shy of 5’10” and no way is Kate 5’9” if she’s able to wear heels that high and not be nearly as tall as William. I would put Kate closer to 5’7” and Meghan closer to 5’4”…

  68. Your Mom says:

    I love Meghan’s whole outfit but I am a person who only dresses in neutrals. Kate looks like the Scottish entry from the Dolls of the World collection I had as a child.

  69. manda says:

    I think Kate looks ridiculous. Like, I wore that exact outfit to church when I was in the 1st grade. My tights were patterned though

  70. TeamAwesome says:

    Holiday stress, new in-law stress, all the world watching and photographing stress, PLUS her dog has two broken legs?!?! That she’s smiling and out and about is a Christmas miracle. Yes it’s her new job, but I’m a nervous wreck leaving my dogs when they act a little blue. Two broken legs in a strange country…I can’t imagine.

  71. CK3 says:

    Part of me thinks that they wear stuff like this one purpose so they can avoid the firestorm over how much they’re spending on clothing etc. No one is going to search for the price tag on a homely coat. They’re rich (Meghan in her own right), but outside of certain events, they can’t appear to glamorous. Meghan’s probably toning it down a bit after dressgate.

  72. Hazel says:

    I was surprised Kate’s coat was MiuMiu. I’m not all that familiar with the brand, but I thought they were stylish & sophisticated, which this coat is not. This coat is a little girl’s coat, not a grown woman’s. Maybe as styled by MiuMiu—white top, black pants—OK, but childlike as styled by Kate. And as someone posted above, it’s the umpteenth iteration of this coat Kate’s worn. And that hat we’ve seen before, on her, on her mother, on her sister. Nice for a ski trip, maybe.
    As for Meghan—love the coat. It’s the kind of coat those of us who can only buy one winter coat would buy—neutral & long enough to go with everything. But yes, it swamps her.
    Let’s talk about Harry—light blue?! Why? And doesn’t he have a warmer coat?

    • benchwarmer says:

      I’m with you on Kate’s coat looking like a little girl’s coat and not a grown woman’s. I wrote that in my post lower down, that she reminds me of a life sized American Girl Doll.

      • Sharon Lea says:

        Benchwarmer, now that you mention it Kate is dressed like an American Girl Doll.

      • FLORC says:

        Benchwarmer
        OMG This!!! Kate’s coat looks like the American Girl doll Addy’s Christmas dress! I had it. Hands down the prettiest of the original 5 Xmas dresses. Although Molly had a pretty coat. Ugh… they were the things to have as a kid.

  73. Anare says:

    I think Meghan looked lovely. I would wear her ensemble minus the hat which was fine but not my style. Kate’s look was so predictable. Nothing stylish about it. She looks beautiful, healthy and happy though so that’s good to see. I don’t like the queens orange outfit. Does not speak Christmas to me. I always thought Lady Louise was a pretty little girl. She’s lovely.

  74. Lobbit says:

    Oh gosh I can’t with the nitpicking – I know that’s the point of these posts but it’s just so grating. Everyone looked nice to me but Harry – he looked a bit disheveled. Cheers.

    • African Sun says:

      The royal posts tend to bring that out. It gets annoying. I thought everyone looked nice and appropriate for church. People are forgetting they were going into a service.

      • Peggy says:

        That was my impression that they were going to church, not on a fashion runway.
        I’m surprised that they did not comment on the color or size of her tongue.

    • Sophia's Side eye says:

      I’m with you. The criticism is unreal, like they’re not actual human beings. I guess the holidays are stressful for a lot of people?

      I think everyone looked fine. I loved the queens hat!

  75. Lizzie says:

    Kate better hit that botox after this baby bc her face looks haggard compared to Megan Markle.

  76. kristen oten says:

    Kaiser i have to disagree with you: I LOVED Kate’s jacket. It looks amazing on her #hater lolol

    Also, Meghan’s coat is nice, but looks better in pink: https://sentaler.com/products/long-wide-collar-wrap-coat-tourmaline-pink

  77. benchwarmer says:

    re: the buttons “I know that for a fact.” This is good writing @kaiser I like it.

    Meghan looks very expensive. I like the coat and the gloves and how the hat, gloves and boots coordinate. I don’t like the hat though, Americans don’t wear hats like that so it feels weird to me and that hat is too bulbous. Her boots are too wrinkly and slouchy, that’s all the criticism I got lol.

    Kate looks like a life size American Girl Doll. The coat is pretty and youthful but it seems kind of juvenile for a grown woman. It’s too girlish. I’d put that coat on someone no older than thirteen.

  78. Treesandpets says:

    The Queen looks fabulous; by far the most regal and fashionable look out of the three ladies for the day. Cheerful too; a nice touch in the dreary Winter. I think Kate looks beautiful – outfit very well proportioned, clean lines, elegant, and appropriate to the event. Meghan on the other hand had a fail with this outfit. Reminds me of when I was a kid and dressed up in mum’s big coat and hat. She needs to dress in proportion to her petite stature. Probably a great look in person but the long, loose coat and choice of hat overwhelm her frame and it doesn’t photograph well.

  79. happy girl says:

    Here is Kate’s look at her very first attendance at Christmas day church with Her Majesty. THIS is the chic, elegant polish I was hoping for MM, as her coat looks like a cozy bathrobe in comparison.

    https://us.hellomagazine.com/images/stories/1/2016/06/07/000/187/716/gallery_5_3.jpg

    And this Christmas day look was very Royal, too:

    https://cdn-03.independent.ie/incoming/article34350335.ece/41c6e/AUTOCROP/w620/katex.jpg

  80. Xtrology says:

    I don’t agree with Kaiser on Meghan’s coat. I love it. The hat, well, it matches her boots. And the handbag. Love it. It will be nice to be able to watch someone who dresses better than Kate. I think Meghan has a real sense of style.

  81. Peanut Gallery says:

    I like Meghan’s coat but NOT for Christmas Day. It’s not festive in the least and it would be perfect for her charitable engagements but I feel like she could have done better with her color scheme. All tan and brown? Maybe they told her to wear it since they knew she’d be the one most focused on and they didn’t want her to take even more attention away from the Queen or something like that. Still, I think Meghan could have worn a beautiful green, maybe a soft pale pink. But BROWN on Christmas? Ick.

  82. liriel says:

    Someone mentioned the prenup issues and throwing away ‘inappropriate’ clothes. Any links?

    • Princessk says:

      All nonsense…all such issues would have been ironed out long before the official engagement announcement, not after.

  83. aquarius64 says:

    Meghan looked great in her ensemble. She would look nervous be this is where she would have to practice protocol to get the curtsy right. She may have been nervous to concentrate on Harry . The pre nup business – BS. If the queen thought Meghan was a gold digger the consent would not have been given for Harry and Meghan to marry. pot stirring to drive the blogs.

  84. HeyThere! says:

    Kate gets a pass because she’s pregnant and comfort is key! LOL I actually think Meghan looks lovely. Can we talk about how Meghan seems to have the most amazing skin ever?!?!?! I would be a boring royal because I love the lame colors. My clothing and coats would be tan, white, black, navy blue and brown with occasional pops of color. In my early 20’s I went through a pink/purple/orange phase. I mean, I was a walking sparkle bomb of Pepto-Bismol pink, daily.

  85. Starlight says:

    In the engagement interview she was clinging on to Harry like a mother since then she clings On to Harry like a scared little rabbit what happened at the lunch …. ??

  86. Bea says:

    I was actually excited when I saw Meghan wearing a wrap coat because my first thought was thank goodness for no buttons to compare with Kate’s buttons which would save me from reading button commentary on Celebitchy today.

    Now I have to roll my eyes the bathrobe commentary, sigh.

    I give Meghan all the benefit of the doubt until she can figure out her royal style which probably won’t happen until after she’s married. I wasn’t expecting her to get it right immediately because this is her time to try different looks until she finds a style that works for her.

  87. Natalia says:

    Eh. She’s just doing Low Key after that 75000 pound dress.

  88. Redgrl says:

    Hate the bathrobe coat trend she’s got. The hat is ugly too (and I love fascinators and offbeat hats – this was just boring). Agree re the too slouchy boots. Fail for the outfit. Not a Kate fan but I liked her coat – not her hat, though. But she looked radiant, which was a nice change. Harry needs to give the blue suits a rest. The Queen wins for most stunning ensemble.

  89. Nasayer says:

    The hats are called “fascinator’s” and it’s an English tradition upon which royalty are particularly stuck. I think Megan is going for “original” with her autumn color palette- both attention seeking and subdued. Everything she wears is selling off the shelves-I hope her stylists are multi level marketing.

    • Halina says:

      Those aren’t fascinators, they’re just regular hats. You can see a fascinator on Lady Louise – she’s the girl in dark purple coat walking next to prince Philip.

  90. Wisdomheaven says:

    To me, even with her nerves, Meghan stuck out in a good way with the royals. She wore subdued colors because if she hadn’t, people would accuse her of being an attention whore. She really can’t win, can she?

    I love Meghan’s style, but folks, come one. She is going to have to figure out a royal style for herself which may take time. She can bring in elements of her actress style, but there are certain things that will have to change about her style. Give her some room to figure that out.

    I think Meghan absolutely glowed. Her beauty and youth really was stark to me compared to how dated Kate looked.

    Her and Harry looked great together. I think having so many people trying to help her on the stairs between Harry, Will and Kate increased her nerves and made her more insecure even though it was obviously being done out of kindness. Her concern for these things shows she cares. In total to me, she did great. Poised, elegant and glowing.

    I am was so happy to see the united front the Wales Branch put on. Even Charles was laughing and joking with Meghan.

  91. Tamaris says:

    I doubt that kate and Meghan didn’t know each other before Christmas. Harry is tight with his brother and kate so they knew her long before the engagement. It’s ridiculous to believe he was hiding Meghan. Who does that? They are family. Imagine your brother hiding his girlfriend with whom he is totally in love for over a year? That would be rude and i have no doubt that harry would do this. Just because there were no pictures it doesn’t mean they didn’t know or seen her before.

    I don’t like their outfits. Kates and Meghans hats are totally ugly but kates is worse.

  92. NOLA says:

    Loved Autumn’s coat. And wow, Lady Louise looked so lovely and grown up.

  93. Maria says:

    William seems to be in an unusual good mood. No scowl today.

  94. Felicia says:

    I think that what works as stylish in New York isn’t the same as what works as stylish in London. And neither of those would work in Paris. She’ll adjust.
    I also think that choosing an outfit that works for static photos and choosing one that works for “live coverage” are two different things. There is no doubt a learning curve on that one.

  95. Canadian Becks says:

    “With help from a book, a woman changes her personality”, is the description to a 2016 TV movie that is showing on my TV right now, starring Megan.

    I tuned in out of curiosity; it is a standard, made-for-TV type of girl meets boy Hallmark story.

    I thought it noteworthy she was cast with a white sister and mother. I’ve never seen Suits so I don’t know how they cast her.

    Movie is called “Dater’s Handbook”.

    • Cee says:

      In Suits her father is black and mother is white. Her character is biracial and identifies as such.

  96. LittlefishMom says:

    LOVE her style!! She looks excellent.

  97. WyoGirl says:

    First of all, as an American girl, I never would bow to anyone. Royals are no better than us. I feel in my bones that Meghan thinks that, too.

    Second of all, Meghan is one smart cookie. She didn’t get where she is without superb emotional intelligence. She will treat her sisterhood with Kate with kid gloves (even brown ones). Kate will be thrilled that this cool American actress finds her keen.

    Third. Meghan will have the last laugh when she’s walking down the aisle on May 19 with a prince on her arm and the crowd jewels on her head.

    • Mel says:

      Nobody actually thinks that the “royals” are better than them. Nobody is *expected* to think that. It is a bit of social game – a relic of an ancient feudal tradition. That’s all it is. Much like shaking hands. You do know that shaking hands is meant to signify that you are not concealing a dagger, right? Yet I am sure you do shake hands, regardless of the ridiculous origin of that gesture.

      And yes, if you married into a “royal” family, you would have to curtsy, even as an American (and she will soon cease to be a USA citizen anyway).

      • Tina says:

        We don’t know that. I suspect, at minimum, she will remain a dual citizen for as long as it takes to give her children US citizenship.

  98. WyoGirl says:

    First of all, as an American girl, I never would bow to anyone. Royals are no better than the rest of us. I feel in my bones that Meghan thinks that, too.

    Second. Meghan is one smart cookie to get where she’s at. She has superb emotional intelligence. She will treat her sisterhood with Kate like (brown) kid gloves. And Kate will be thrilled that a cool American actress finds her keen.

    Third. Meghan will have the last laugh on May 19 when she’s walking down the aisle with a prince on her arm and the crown Jewels on her head.

    • Wo says:

      If she wasn’t into curtseying and the other royal trappings then she wouldn’t be marrying into a royal family. Would you give up your job, religion, citizenship etc for something you didn’t believe in? Also I’m pretty sure only the monarch can wear the crown jewels.

    • Jayna says:

      WyoGirl says: “And Kate will be thrilled that a cool American actress finds her keen.”

      She is an average actress on a smaller TV cable show and isn’t the main lead. Most people in America had never even heard of Meghan before Harry. “Kate will be thrilled.” LOL

  99. Wo says:

    Do you guys have Brownies in the us? As in girl guides. Because that’s what I immediately thought of when I saw her outfit .

  100. Bee says:

    You’ve got to wonder when the novelty of all this attention will wear off, and the realisation of what she is marrying into actually hits. They own her now.

  101. LT says:

    Regarding the boots: I have a few pair of Stuart Weitzman boots and he doesn’t make “slouchy” boots per se. She must have really skinny calves and the boots are a little big on her. Mine do the same thing and need to be pulled up ever so often. Based on the way the back of the boot sticks out, I also think they are a half a size too big.

  102. JaneDoesWork says:

    Love Meghan’s bag but not really into the rest of it. Also love Kate’s coat though, its so festive and fun!

    • Canadian Becks says:

      I also dislike her penchant for these “bathrobe” style coats with the tie-belt.

      Funny thing is that on the TV movie she starred in last night, it was set in Denver, Colorado, and she had on 2 great winter coats.

      Fitted pea coats in a jewel tone and another fitted classic wool coat. Looked very attractive on her.

      Obviously, they dress her for the movie…so maybe she does not do well picking her own clothes?

      • Jayna says:

        I think people think she has some great fashion style of her own from seeing her in outfits being dressed for her projects, acting or ads, promos. I think on her own it is very hit and miss from what I’ve seen looking at photos of her on the internet, some great, some fine, some bad.

        I never got the whole posts on CB that she is going to outshine Katherine in the style department, blah, blah. Who cares? They aren’t celebrities on the Oscar’s red carpet. They are Royals. She does have a nice casual style as far as jeans and such. She will wear outfits that sometimes Royal watchers love and some not so loved. So those expecting so much of her and have bragged she is going to be a huge style icon need to let go of such an expectation.

        @CanadianBecks: She seems to love her oversized wrap coats. So we better get over that. They aren’t going away, LOL

        She will do more good as a Royal I have no doubt as far as causes, which should be the most important thing, shouldn’t it, CBers?

  103. carolind says:

    They are members, or potential members, of the BRF. It is not what they wear or look like that counts but what they do for Britain and for charity. This is not Hollywood actresses, or performers for whom your comments – maybe – would be apt.

  104. Charlie Canada says:

    I’m surprised at how few people mentioned the worst aspect of Meghan’s oversized outfit for her petite frame. That belt! Not only is she very short-waisted, but she has no hit of curve at all at the waist — she’s thick-waisted for her frame. She should never wear thick, bulky belts with huge, complicated knots like that. They don’t flatter her shape at all. Yet she wears them over and over — she must have five coats at least like this by now, always belted the same silly way. She should wear slender, fitted coats with no belt like almost all of Kate’s to give her the illusion of more height and less bulk. To me that’s the greatest faux pas with her ensemble (and those floppy boots).