The Meghan Markle necklace that got her in trouble with the Palace
Since becoming a royal, it's no secret that Meghan Markle's outfit choices are the topic of much conversation. I mean, who can blame us? We are obsessed with her stylish wardrobe. But it seems that the Duchess of Sussex's sartorial decisions have been closely monitored by the palace before she even tied the knot with Harry in 2018 - and not always in a positive way.
This week, extracts from a new book written about the royals, Finding Freedom, say that Meghan Markle found herself in hot water with palace aides back in 2016 for wearing a specific necklace shortly after her relationship with Harry first went public. The necklace in question featured a dainty gold chain design bearing the letters 'H' and 'M'. While this sounds like a super sweet gesture from the (then new) couple, according to the book, written by veteran royal journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, this one necklace resulted in upset at the palace.
People published the following excerpt from the book, which it's not believed has been officially authorised by Meghan or Harry but is said to include interviews from their close friends and other reliable sources:
"She was advised that wearing such a necklace only served to encourage the photographers to keep pursuing such images — and new headlines."
According to Scobie and Durand, Meghan had a conversation with a senior Kensington where she "said little during the call, choosing instead to simply listen to the counsel. But after hanging up, she felt frustrated and emotional. While she knew the aide had good intentions, the surreal experience of having someone from her boyfriend's office tell her what kind of jewelry to wear or not to smile at a photographer was too much."
The book states that Meghan then called a friend saying, "I can't win. They make out like I'm to blame for these pictures, that it looks like I'm encouraging them, that me even acknowledging the cameras may not be sending the right message. I don't know what to say."
Meghan subsequently wore a similar necklace to the one in question at Wimbledon last year. The gold minimalist chain bore a simple 'A' initial and was believed to be a nod to the couple's son, Archie:
A spokesperson for the Sussexes previously released this statement about the book:
"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not interviewed and did not contribute to Finding Freedom. This book is based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting."
Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox.
You Might Also Like
