Meghan Markle and the modern royal mini dress

Since marrying Prince Harry in 2018, Meghan Markle has carefully chosen her own style with a sense of aesthetic independence not usually associated with members of the royal family.

Proudly proud of the fact that she does not use the services of a stylist, Meghan has strayed from many established royal conventions, both in her clothing choices and her working practices.

From commissioning a French fashion label to make her wedding dress to attending royal functions in bold and exciting colours, Meghan has a strong connection to the way she dresses.

A staple of the Duchess’s wardrobe that she particularly likes is the mini-dress. This 1960s invention was reinterpreted over the following decades to become a chic wardrobe staple. For the royal family however, the mini dress or skirt is a rarely worn item.

In the 1960s, the two main royal fashionistas embraced the miniskirt, Princess Anne and Princess Margaret. Others, including the Queen, have never tried the style.

According to royal author Ingrid Seward, by the Daily mailAnne caused a stir when she first wore a miniskirt in front of her grandmother, the Queen Mother, who objected on the grounds that she found the knees “ugly”.

That’s not the case for Meghan, who has worn a range of stylish mini dresses throughout her married life.

Here, Newsweek look at a collection of her most notable mini-dress moments.

‘Hamilton’, August 29, 2018

Meghan’s first notable appearance in a mini dress after marrying Harry was at a special performance of Lin Manuel Miranda’s hit musical, hamiltonin the West End of London.

The elegant tuxedo-style dress was made by Canadian designer duo Judith & Charles. With double breasted and fashionable lapels.

Meghan teamed her look with black closed-toe pumps by designer Paul Andrew and a sequin clutch.

New Zealand, October 29, 2018

Meghan wore another standout mini dress while touring the South Pacific with Prince Harry after their 2018 wedding.

Meghan debuted numerous looks during the 17-day tour, which saw the royal couple visit Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand. On day two of her New Zealand tour, Meghan wore another white tuxedo-inspired mini dress by designer Maggie Marilyn.

Meghan’s dress was made to measure and the double-breasted button detail accentuated the flare of the skirt which created an hourglass silhouette.

Designer Maggie Hewitt said vogue of the Duchess choosing to wear a piece from her collection that:

“Meghan Markle’s team reached out with picks of a few pieces she was interested in, I almost fell off my chair! I was so excited. In particular, they wanted our Leap of Faith blazer dress to be made without the sleeves. So, of course, we dropped everything to make it happen!”

She then added, “I’m so honored that she chose to wear one of my designs!”

International Women’s Day, March 8, 2019

To attend an International Women’s Day event in London in 2019, Meghan wore a bold mini dress with a large monochrome print by British brand Reiss.

At the time of the event, Meghan was pregnant with her first child, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, and the shorter mini-dress look moved away from the more conventional maternity clothes favored by other royals.

With the dress, Meghan paired a tailored black blazer which she left open to reveal the print underneath. The royal also wore a pair of black suede high heels by designer Manolo Blahnik and carried a black clutch with gold chain detailing by Stella McCartney.

Global Citizen Live, September 25, 2021

Meghan turned to the world of high fashion for her next trendy mini dress. For her appearance alongside Harry onstage at the Global Citizen Live vaccine equality event in 2021, the Duchess wore a white, lifted shift dress by Valentino.

The mini dress featured floral appliques with bead embellishments around the neckline, sleeves and hem.

Meghan opted for a pair of black satin pumps and was seen carrying a black ‘Lady Dior’ handbag from French fashion house Christian Dior, named after her mother-in-law Princess Diana. Meghan’s bag had been personalized with the reported initials “DSSOS” representing her title as Duchess of Sussex.

Invictus Games, April 17, 2022

Meghan’s latest mini dress fashion moment came during the 2022 Invictus Games held in The Hague in the Netherlands.

For a special reception in honor of the Invictus Games Foundation, Meghan once again turned to Valentino for a statement ivory crepe mini dress with laser cutouts.

Meghan wore the short style dress with brown silk high heels, diamond rings and her hair styled to fall over one shoulder.