Princess Kate's subtle olive branch to Meghan Markle at last night's Royal Variety show
Princess Kate stepped out in a teal gown for the Royal Variety Performance on Thursday night, created by one of Meghan Markle's go-to designers.
Princess Kate appeared to offer a subtle olive branch to Meghan Markle with her fashion choice last night, as she rocked a look the Duchess of Sussex would have been proud of.
The Princess of Wales wowed on the red carpet in a teal-blue gown from London-based designer Safiyaa in the Talina design, retailing at £1545, which features a high, bejewelled neckline and split floor-length sleeves. Kate's version was tailored specifically for her as a more structured, angular design was added into the shoulders, perhaps to make her feel more powerful in the wake of the 'royal racists' scandal.
Meghan was seen wearing the designer on a number of occasions while she was still a working royal, donning an abstract floral top from Safiyaa when she and Prince Harry went to Royal Variety in 2018. She also wore two caped versions of the designer's gowns on two separate engagements, first in Fiji in 2018 and then significantly for one of her final outings as a working royal in 2020 at the Mountbatten Music Festival.
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Even though Kate's outfit for the engagement would have been planned well in advance, the fallout surrounding the leak of those accused of making comments about Prince Archie's skin colour does not seem to have deterred her from wearing a gown so similar to those beloved by Meghan.
Safiyaa, founded by Daniela Karnuts in 2011, aims to inspire confidence in the women who wear its creations, as the designer told the Telegraph: "What we wear should accentuate and elevate how we feel and what we project. As a designer, it’s my job to incorporate this spirit. If I can help any woman with that, I know I have succeeded."
Penny Mordaunt also famously wore a dress by the designer for her star-making appearance at the King's Coronation in May.
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At the Royal Variety Performance Kate appeared more "vulnerable" than usual, but Prince William was on hand to offer her his undying support.
Body language expert Judi James told the Daily Mail: "William’s gestures here look deliberate as he 'presents' his beautiful wife to the world on the red carpet. He uses a steering hand but he also extends his arm and hand in a romantic gesture of support which she accepts, throwing him a grateful-looking smile as she does so.
"This is not their usual A-list red carpet cosplay. Following the insults and rumours from Scobie’s book the couple seem to have taken a regal approach that is also very human and more emotionally revealing in terms of their shared love than ever before."
She added: "As a body language statement it appears to nail all the negative comments, from the suggestion of being dull to the ‘Stepford wife’ quote.
"Kate does look slightly vulnerable here, with less of a statuesque posture than normal for her red carpet appearances but her smile becomes warm as she connects with William with more shared eye contact than usual."
The Princess accessorised her gown with colour-matching Gianvito Rossi heels, a silver clutch by Jenny Packman and sparkly J.Crew jewellery.