The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had their first day of activities and appearances in Sydney, Australia. For the first part of the day, Meghan wore an Australian designer – her white, sleeveless dress was by Aussie designer Karen Gee. It was a very sleek, professional look, and Meghan’s bump is tiny. I haven’t seen an ID for the trench coat Meghan wore for some of the outdoor activities, but I’ll say this: chica LOVES the look of a trench coat. She has dresses that look like deconstructed trench coats. She probably has a dozen trench coats in her closet already. This is a good one, although I would have liked to see her just wear the Gee dress for some of the exterior stuff.
Also notable: during most of the day-activities – which included a trip to the zoo! – Meghan wore some jewelry from the late Princess Diana. Meghan’s butterfly-shaped stud earrings were worn by Diana during a tour of Canada in 1986. Meghan also wore a bracelet once belonging to Diana. I wonder if those pieces were in the Royal Collection – unlikely, given their small size – or if Charles had held on to the pieces and he was parceling out Diana’s old jewelry to his sons.
Later in the day, Meghan and Harry attended a reception hosted by the Governor-General of Australia, a reception held at Admiralty House. Meghan changed into a full-skirted dress in olive green by Brandon Maxwell. This dress costs £1,700
Photos courtesy of Getty, Backgrid and WENN.
It’s fantastic that they’re packing so much into this tour. And they look so, so happy!
+1
They BOTH have the maternity glow 🙂
🙂
She looked amazing in both outfits.
I agree! She’s glowing!
She really did look wonderful.
The picture at the bottom has her in just the white shift. Her bump is slightly more pronounced there. She looks great. And healthy.
You can really tell in the photos from the side
With these pics and how obviously pregnant she is, it makes sense they announced when they did. This trip was going to make it plain no she was pregnant no matter what.
Funny behause I thought just from looking at her it was Not Necessary.
Plus changing the schedule to remove her from events where there might be mosquitoes. They had to announce because of that. Either they did it before Eugenie’s wedding and would be attacked for it, or had to announce it at the start of the tour.
I also thought the opposite- she’s barely showing, if at all (maybe she just took off the spanx), which is expected for 12 weeks, if that is indeed how far she is (I suspect closer to 14-16). This could easily have been hidden if they wanted to hide it, but clearly they are crazy excited and don’t want to hide it. I also think it was probably more about (1) schedule changes to avoid zika, and (2) bringing more attention to the invictus games, which is Harry’s pet project. Anyway, they are adorable.
Wow. She really looks stunning in that white dress & trench. “Glow” is a thing.
She’s just so bloody gorgeous.
Also for non-Sydneysiders: it has literally been raining torrentially for two weeks straight here in Ol’ Sydney Town and miraculously stopped yesterday just as the Duke and Duchess arrived on antipodean soil. Astonishing powers the BRF possess right? 😉
And the woman in pink greeting them is our Premier Gladys Berejiklian. She’s a well known koala hater.
Love that it was such a beautiful day. Sydney always looks stunning. We’ve had amazing weather in Melbourne the last few days, but the heavens opened last night and all day today. I have my fingers crossed it stops for them on Thursday!
I have to drive past the beach they’re visiting here on Thursday, so I’m tempted to stay there to see them and be late to my meeting!
Harry and his 98 year old friend Daphne (who he’s now met 3 times) were my highlight. What treasures!
How can anyone hate koalas?
They look very cute and cuddly, but their fur is coarse and grimy. They are also hissy, cranky and very smelly. We still love them, though! 🐨
@AnnaKist: Aside from the cute/cuddly and we still love them bits, you’ve pretty much described Orange 45. Team wombat!
Where I live in Sydney, we’ve had two or three torrential rain episodes in the last couple of weeks, and a few rainy days, thank goodness. Other than that, it’s been fine. Sometimes chilly, but fine. Today was a glorious Spring day, no doubt.
There is ice coating the top of my truck and the ground is white with frost. Oh how I wish I was down under.
+1
The Maxwell green dress is beautiful!.
She’s glowing. I like the dresses, my favourite is the white one. So Jackie Kennedy
Love the green dress, the wooden buttons are just the kind of detail I like. Hope she enjoys it down here. My hubby is working at the Invictus Games next week, wonder if he will see the happy couple? He’s British so will click his heels and bow if he does! Lol
Kaiser – I like the way you cover Meghan!
She’s so pretty, but I want to take a wet wipe to her face. I feel like her Mulroney friend is a bad makeup influence lol. She slathers on the bronzer and blush too. Reminds me of when I was in high school, we all wore glittery orange bronzer. It was the mid-aughts though, so we had an excuse.
I agree, whomever is doing her makeup should use a lighter hand and use different products. She’s beautiful, she doesn’t need all that.
I agree with both of you.
+1000
Botox malroney need to butt out and stop with the hangers on – she is NO Royal stylist.
Hats off to Duchess Meghan wearing the comfortable loafers at the Zoo. The Duchess Sussex set a much safer, healthy example to pregnant ladies – compare to waity lambridge sky high heels all the way to the Delivery room.
HRH Sussexs arrival in Australia was a huge disappointment to the start of The Royal Oceania Tour. Maxwell green dress seem much more regal – than the white dress which would be much more official with a proper royal coat.
Er… Meghan has been wearing heels for 99% of this so far, even getting off the plane. She only changed into flats to walk to the boat and then changed right back into heels before getting off. She and Kate are very alike in their devotion to sky high heels.
I was going to write the same thing: the day of her wedding her makup was amazing, now we are back at the stop with the blush.
Girl needs to put down the blush and bronzer. She doesn’t need it.
She looks awesome in white. Perfect for her.
And now… Sorry but she’s hardly showing, there was no need to wear that bulky coat half-buttoned for Eugenie’s wedding other than to generate speculation.
And to make that big announcement day1 of their tour… that tour will only be about bumpwatch now.
I disagree. In the videos and in some pics you can see her tiny bump. The announcement was necessary
+100
Prince Harry The Duke Invictus Games plays a huge role in The HRH Sussexs marriage story and family.
That’s not the kind of announcement you’d make in the middle of a tour though, so they probably wanted to get it out of the way. If they had delayed it until after the tour they run the risk of her belly “popping” and it being very obvious or of the news leaking. If family and friends found out Friday, it was only a matter of time before it hit the tabloids. Announcing it when they did allowed them to control it.
It brings more attention to them and their tour and as a result of that, the Invictus Games as well. People have been on “bump watch” since the wedding, so nothing has really changed on that front.
I said it yesterday and I’ll be Polly Repeaty here: first trimester bloat is real and the sensation of waistband cutting in to a bloated pregnancy torso makes some women want to hurl (more).
For my first pregnancy my waist disappeared and my butt doubled in size long before the “bump” showed. So even though I didn’t have the bump I did look noticeably different.
I don’t know. It’s pretty apparent from some angles:
https://twitter.com/pastelfloras/status/1052005519492182016?s=21
If she had shown up in a loose dress with no coat at the wedding, there would have been speculation. If they announced before the wedding she would have been attacked for pulling focus. They had to change the schedule and remove her from at least two events where there might be mosquitoes. That would automatically have caused speculation. Plus now, in this white dress, her expecting is clear especially on someone so tiny.
She isn’t showing very much at all just now. However I imagine they announced it so that if she has to pull out of an event due to sickness, tiredness or zika risk then people will cut her some slack.
Sorry that white dress is basic AF. £1000? And £1700 for a khaki day dress? I just can’t. She honestly could buy that sort of thing from reiss or whistles or Hugo boss or cos for a fraction of the cost.
Agree completely, it looks like any dress from the high street. Its also unlikely to be a rewear as its probably a size or so up from her usual tiny size.
Diana left everything to Will and Harry. It would be their choice to give out her jewelry. Charles doesn’t have control over what belongs to the crown yet either. These pieces look more like fashion jewelry and would definitely have been part of Diana’s private collection.
I love that she’s wearing Diana’s jewelry.
Yes, this. Charles did not have or acquire any of Diana’s jewelry after their divorce and her death. The boys had possession, and it might have been stored for them at KP, or some of it might have been managed by Diana’s sister who was an executor on the estate. Charles wouldn’t be handing it out now; William and Harry are in charge of it all.
Even though the dress is kind of plain, she looks awesome in white, and it’s good to see her in something other than funeral black. They look so happy, and I’m glad she’s really pregnant instead of people just assuming that because her belly isn’t perfectly flat, she must be pregnant. Happy couple, and I can’t wait to see their baby
The white dress and trench coat are nice. The green dress is matronly.
IIRC, Diana inherited most of her jewellery to Harry, because William’s wife would eventually have access to the main vaults.
Some of it probably went to William as well because we’ve seen Kate wearing a few of Diana’s bracelets and earnings, or maybe she just borrowed them from Harry?.
Yes i have a recollection about reading that as well but I think William got to pick a few pieces like a watch and Big Blue (but there seems to be confusion over who originally picked it – supposedly Harry had it first but William decided he wanted it to give to Kate).
William picked first and picked the watch. Harry picked second and picked the ring. William giving the ring to Kate was a surprise to everyone, including Harry who thought it was tucked away in the vault. But par for the course for William who is a cheapskate and who wanted to use a free ring for PR.
@notasugarhere Personally, I think his choice of ring was a F*** you to the men in suits who wanted to belittle and erase Diana’s image. He wanted to make her prominent again. Motivated as much by anger as by love, imo.
Using the ring of doom, sign of a globally-known failed marriage? Not the best of starts. I think that jewel should have been put away for a generation or two and reworked to a pendant.
Most versions of the story have the boys choosing those pieces to take with them and not leave in storage at KP. The rumor though was that they agreed the first bride would receive the ring, not that it would be Harry’s forever.
Royal rumors are always about which story you find most plausible, since they are so frequently anonymously sourced. Short of Harry or William telling us flat-out which version is true, we will never know.
I’m so glad Charles Spencer’s custodianship expired, I can’t tell you. He’s just slimy.
There was also that strange period of 20 years where her belongings were under the control of her wretched brother. He used them to make money off of visits to the family home for 20 years until W&H regained control of those items a year or two ago.
Seriously? I thought her brother was a nice guy. Ughh…
Both dresses are lovely but soooo expensive!!!! £1,700 is almost 2000€, right? I mean, I don’t expect her to wear Zara or something like that, but something a little bit more affordable wouldn’t “hurt” so much…
I always wonder why there is never any faux concern about the price of Prince Harry’s clothes or suits…
Because these articles are never about his clothes and what they cost… if they cost as much as hers, then I’m equally concerned 😉 I like Meghan and I know they are very rich and can afford it, but it’s just shocking sometimes that a simple dress can cost as much as what I earn in two months…
A lot of these dresses are deceptively simple. From afar they might resemble something from Zara or Cos but upon closer inspection they have better tailoring, fabric and construction. How would it look if she – representing a whole Kingodom – showed up with a poorly sewn hem or synthetic fabrics. Are a lot of clothes overpriced? Yes. However, for the quality of clothes she requires, those are the prices.
Harry wears the same suits for years on end. What is there to say except they’re blue and boring af?
@Aaliyah
Thank You! Yes there is something to be said for Quality. Of course you can buy something similar for 100£ but it wouldn’t feel the same.
I also wonder why there is never any faux concern about the price of Prince Williams’s clothes or suits… Always attack the women as if they’re the only ones spending crazy amounts.
@IndianSummer
I honestly wonder if one of the reasons why people in her position wear high-end/designer brands is because those brands can afford to make their garments as ethically possible. Whereas if she wears some fast fashion brands like from say Zara, people could criticize her for supporting brands that use sweatshops or less than decent conditions for their garment workers.
A quick search to the Karen Gee website will reveal the brand contructs everything locally in Australia, and is a certified ethical brand, and given the price I asume their employees get compensated fairly.
Also, if you’re gonna go around judging other people, I would suggest you change your name first, it’s offensive.
Ok, ok, I’ll change my name to “native american summer” or whatever (EYE ROLL). Regarding the dress, I’m just giving my opinion, like everybody else posting here. The olive green dress is very pretty, but £1,700 just seems too much (for any dress really but this one in particular).
It really has something to do with the quality of materials used and the construction of the garments. To normal, every day people, it looks very simple. But believe me when I say there is a difference between a Zara pleated skirt and the pleated skirt on this dress.
@IndianSummer
It’s not really that you didn’t choose to write “Native American” per se (though it is good to correct that) but mostly that “Indian Summer” also has to do with a negative stereotype/prejudice regarding punctuality.
And I wasn’t judging your opinion on the expense of her wardrobe, I was also just sharing mine as well to add a different perspective.
Megan looks lovely and glowing. Hope she has a healthy pregnancy and baby. It’s funny some of these comments are so passive aggressive towards Meghan, but never anything about Harry.
Lol. No one cares about Harry anymore.
Meghan’s the interloper taking up too much attention and resources for their liking. There’s some tan suit nonsense happening here.
Some people will work themselves up into a tizzy about anything as long as it accomplishes the ultimate goal of nitpicking Meghan. The people that don’t like Kate are the same way.
I think criticizing fashion, hair, and styling is fair game, this is a gossip site. But the stuff about how much she is spending seems like none of our business.
You are so correct, BB. The discussions here are so intense at times. It’s as if Kate & Meghan killed their puppies and took away their boyfriend’s & husbands to be.
I admit I post about their expenses but I try to be consistent. I do think it’s over the top to wear McQueen or Givenchy to regular daytime engagements. There are many smaller designers that could use the boost in popularity.
Fashion note: I love that she’s not carrying unnecessary clutches and bags. She has great handbag taste, but I like that she’s making sure she doesn’t burden herself with something she doesn’t need.
I love Brandon Maxwell’s clothes. Out of my price range and below my size range, but so pretty.
I think she looks great in both dresses. I thought at first the green dress was a bit too casual for the evening event, but it seems on par with what other guests are wearing.
I read some where (here perhaps?) that Meghan is going to avoid some area in Tonga and Fuji, and let Harry go in alone. I really hope so and they actually had a plan B in place. I’m sure the proper care is being taken care off and i’m worrying for nothing.
Yes they appear to have removed her from a couple of things to avoid mosquitoes. An early morning remembrance event and a forest visit iirc.
There are a few outdoor ceremonies in either Fiji or Tonga that she is skipping. I am sure we will hear more about it when they approach.
+1
Botox stylist malroney hangers on – please go back home!
She’s never looked so beautiful. And just imagine what the comments would have been if she’d worn a mid-range wardrobe – “disrespectful to Australians”, “Australia is obviously not worth making the effort for”, “Royal Snub”, etc etc…
Enjoy the moment/photos and stop looking for straw men.
She is referrring to the commenter above, who thinks Meghan should wear cheaper clothes. She’s gonna get criticized whether she wears cheap or expensive clothing. Lets be real, ladies, if we were doing all these events, we wouldnt wear a dress from Target. If I had the money, I’d wear designer clothes
“Straw men”? There are several comments complaining about the cost of her outfits (again). Or is it only “straw men” when it comes to calling out the way *Meghan* is criticized as opposed to other BRF members?
There are a few pics of her just wearing the dress without the trench outdoors, just fyi.
I’m sure Diana divided her collection for her sons and their wives. The fact remains Harry chose the engagement ring and then gave it to William, so perhaps Harry ended up with a larger portion of Diana’s collection as a result. William wanted to re-signify that blasted ring and Harry was OK with that.
Harry chose the ring, yes. “gave it to William” has been up for debate for 7+ years now.
Hmm interesting. I think it’s rather hideous so Meghan is probably happy to not wear it.
I’m so in love with these two. They are just fantastic!
She’s stunning, and they look SO happy. Love them.
Me too! I cant wait to see their baby
I think she looks really good in this outfit the dress was reasonable price it was 1,800 so it wasn’t too expensive and it was for a Australia brand too.
I’m not really sure why were pointing out the cost of her dress?
This is a royal family with jewels up their *ss. Did we expect her to be in Zara? And if she was, the comments about the labor conditions behind Zara’s production would be so insane, they’d be begging her to be in couture.
totally random thought but but like, my tummy looks like that on a good day when I think it’s loooking flat! I’m so happy I’m not under such scrutiny…. it would be hard to take.
I was thinking the exact same thing!
Yeah I bet it isn’t easy. But honestly if she was just some random woman we passed by on the street no one would bat an eye at that “bump.” The only reason it’s notable is because the media’s been on constant bump watch since they married, and because of her history in the public eye we have pictures of her having a flat belly as a reference.
Why are they there?
Money$$$
Also the Invictus Games which Harry is very involved in.
Like you haven’t been following the royals long enough to know why they do these tours. It’s obvious your question was made to throw shade specifically on Meghan, as if she shouldn’t do the same type of “work” that the blood royals and other married-ins do.
The Karen Gee dress is sheer perfection on her! Beautiful fit, perfect length, and I just love her in white.
Then back to the drab neutrals and the fit at the sleeves and bust is awful.
Who is keeping this pretty woman whose face should be lit up in those drab neutrals?!
I’m gonna give her a pass on fit given her body will change even during this tour. It’s kind of impossible to fit clothes not knowing how the body will change as pregnancy progresses, especially in the chest.
I’ll hang with pass on fit, but I want to cry when I see what a difference the colors make to showcasing her or drabbing her out.
I also think she barely looks pregnant and could have disguised it by going with more a-line dresses and skirts, but we would have spent the whole tour doing a bump watch and that would have been a distraction from Invictus and their engagements. I also think they’re very excited and just wanted to be able to talk about the baby with everyone.
I am LOVING Diana’s 80s jewelry on display. Sweet Diana, I am sure she would love to be a part of the excitement around the baby news.
I kind of wonder if that might be twins, although how tall is she?
The statement specified that they were expecting “a baby” in Spring 2019. If they were expecting twins, the statement probably would have been worded more ambiguously or just said she was pregnant and due in the spring. Doria’s statement also referenced her excitement about welcoming her first grandchild, singular.
She barely came up to Harry’s shoulders. I was a bit surprised, thought she was taller.
She fuelled the speculation at the wedding. It wasn’t necessary but whatever.
I think the white dress looks great but the second one is really ugly.
Loving some of the images from this tour especially Harry hugging the very elderly woman he had met before and introducing her to Meghan. I teared up because it’s just the sort of thing Diana did and it’s lovely to see.
I see the thirsty Mulroneys have arrived. O joy!
Oh, wow, i never believed in the pregnancy glow and i had two babies myself. she’s definitely glowing, probably the best looking royal ever, Diana included.
I really like the white dress on her. The other not at all. It’s so unflattering.