Meghan Markle fans react to ‘pre-duchess vibes’ at Invictus Games

Fans are praising Meghan Markle for her latest Invictus Gamesstyle after the Duchess of Sussex was seen posing for photos in a white Valentino dress and a bold red lip colour.

On Easter Sunday, the duchess, who is currently in The Hague, Netherlands, for the Games with her husband Prince Harry, attended an Invictus Games reception. For the outing, Meghan chose a white Valentino mini dress with floral cut-out embroidery, which retails for $6,000.

The duchess, whose appearance at the Invictus Games marks the couple’s first public appearance together in Europe since stepping down as senior royals, accessorised the look with bright red lipstick, oversized black sunglasses, and a sleek side-parted hairstyle.

Meghan’s latest style choice was captured and shared by Eline Lantzendörffer on social media, where the royal fan posted photos of the pair taken during the outing.

“I just met MEGHAN MARKLE!!!” she captioned the series of photos, which show Meghan smiling, shaking hands and posing with Lantzendörffer.

In addition to praise for the duchess, the photos, which have since been reposted on several fan accounts, have prompted applause for Meghan’s lip colour, as it is a bold change from her usual understated lipstick shades.

“Can I just say how happy I am to see Meghan back in red lipstick? She didn’t wear it for YEARS,” one person commented, while another said: “So glamourous! I love everything about this look - the fabulous hair, gorgeous dress, red lip!”

Others noted that the duchess’s latest fashion choice was reminiscent of her pre-royal Hollywood style, as she only wore red lipstick twice during her time as a senior working member of the royal family: when she attended Cirque du Soleil’s Totem show alongside Prince Harry in January 2019, and when she and the duke attended the Endeavour Fund Awards in 2020 during one of their final appearances as working royals.

“This is AMAZING! This look gives me pre-Harry, red carpet vibes,” one fan wrote.

Someone else said that Meghan “looks so Hollywood chic,” adding that the outfit choice was “very reminiscent of her Suits days”.

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In another photo shared to the @_duchess_of_sussex Instagram account of Meghan posing with an Invictus Games attendee in the outfit, fans praised the duchess’s longtime makeup artist Daniel Martin for the bold choice.

“That lip is poppin. Well done Daniel Martin. Exquisite as always,” one person wrote, while someone else said: “Yes red lip is back! They look great!

Another fan claimed that the duchess’s choice to wear red lipstick again was a result of her no longer being a working royal.

“That lip! Chef’s kiss! Missed her in that lip colour. That stuffy institution would have never let her wear that colour,” they wrote.

While there are numerous fashion rules that the royal family is expected to follow, protocol does not necessarily dictate lip colour, as royal etiquette expert Myka Meier previously told Elle that royals are able to wear makeup they feel is appropriate for the occasion, but that Meghan had chosen to wear the “light, neutral pink that is favoured in the palaces and [by] other royals”.

“We’ve seen her in the past in red lips and now we don’t,” Meier said in 2018 of the duchess, who was frequently photographed on the red carpet in red lipstick prior to becoming a royal. “She’s wearing that light, neutral pink that is favoured in the palaces and other royals.”

“She’s totally fine to wear whatever makeup she feels is appropriate for the occasion,” she added.

And, according to Martin, Meghan’s affinity for lighter lipstick colours is due to her own preference, as he previously told People that the duchess doesn’t feel “comfortable” in red lipstick.

“The one time she did a red lip, she just didn’t feel comfortable in it. She likes to talk and she’s not a fussy person, so she doesn’t want to have to worry about anything,” he told the outlet in 2018.

Meghan has earned praise for her European wardrobe since arriving at the Invictus Games, which were founded by the duke in 2014, with the duchess applauded for her tailored all-white Valentino suit and the casual chic ways she has styled pairs of jeans.