- From Meghan Markle to Princess Diana, members of the royal family have made some memorable and controversial fashion decisions over the years.
- There are tacit rules concerning royal family members’ public wardrobe choices, so daring outfits tend to stand out.
- Some of these memorable fashion moments were more accidental – like Kate Middleton’s dress flying up in the breeze – but others seemed like they could be making a clear statement.
- Princess Diana’s “Revenge Dress” has become iconic, as has Markle’s blush-colored off-the-shoulder look.
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Members of the royal family are expected to adhere to certain protocols related to their wardrobe, but not everyone follows the code to a T.
Often when a royal appears at an official engagement, their outfits are one of the most discussed topics, and some members of the royal family have turned heads with their daring ensembles.
Here are 15 times royals caused a stir with their fashions.
Princess Michael of Kent wore a brooch during her first meeting with Meghan Markle that many considered to be racist.
When Meghan Markle attended Queen Elizabeth’s annual Christmas lunch for the first time in 2017, Princess Michael of Kent arrived wearing a piece of jewelry that many called out as offensive.
The royal wore a Blackamoor brooch, which is a style that dates back centuries and is known for romanticizing Black people in subservient roles.
Some felt the brooch was even more offensive because it was worn to an event attended by Markle, who is biracial and whose mother, Doria Ragland, is Black.
After facing considerable backlash, the princess apologized for wearing the brooch.
Princess Diana wore a little black ensemble that was later dubbed her "Revenge Dress."
It's no secret that Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana had a tumultuous relationship.
On the evening that Prince Charles' controversial documentary aired in 1994 (the one in which he admitted to having an affair), Princess Diana arrived at the Serpentine Gallery in a little black dress with a plunging neckline.
It was unlike any outfit that a royal had ever dared to wear before, and it was quickly nicknamed the "Revenge Dress."
The Duchess of Sussex wore an off-the-shoulder dress for her first Trooping the Colour.
In June 2018, the duchess showed up to her very first Trooping the Colour - a celebration of the queen's birthday - in a blush Carolina Herrera dress that some felt was "inappropriate."
Royal tradition seems to feature women shying away from off-the-shoulder styles but, as Teen Vogue pointed out, Princess Diana and Kate Middleton have both rocked this neckline in the past.
Even though royals have worn this style before, Markle still received heavy criticism for the outfit.
Middleton's near wardrobe malfunction reportedly helped inspire the royal tailor to make a significant adjustment.
In 2011, the Duchess of Cambridge donned a yellow Jenny Packham dress that nearly caught the breeze on a tarmac, à la Marilyn Monroe.
After this incident in Calgary - and other similar ones - Stewart Parvin, one of the queen's tailors, reportedly started sewing small weights into the hems of royal garments to prevent them from blowing up in the wind.
Some feel Middleton may have been making a subtle political statement at the 2018 BAFTAs.
Although most attendees wore black to the 2018 BAFTAs in solidarity with the Time's Up movement against sexual harassment in the workplace, Middleton wore a dark-green dress.
The British royal family is not necessarily supposed to adhere to or voice political beliefs and are often advised to remain neutral. But some viewed the black sash Middleton wore around her torso as a subtle sign she supported the campaign.
Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice wore unique hats to the 2011 royal wedding that went viral.
Prior to the 2011 royal wedding, Princess Eugenie and her older sister Princess Beatrice were not very well-known members of the royal family, but their unique hats certainly turned heads at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's ceremony.
The sisters both wore fascinators for the April affair. Eugenie's blue cap, pinned to the front of her head, was adorned with an arrangement of flowers and feathers, and Beatrice's blush-colored fascinator had an intricate 3D, avant-garde bow detail.
The princesses received what many considered to be an unnecessary amount of backlash and buzz about their "outlandish" hats. Some publications even likened Princess Beatrice's hat to a pretzel, and it even became a meme.
Prince Harry once dressed as a Nazi for a costume party.
In 2005, Prince Harry made headlines after dressing up as a Nazi officer for a costume party.
The then-20-year-old prince faced major backlash for the costume and later issued a statement that read: "Very sorry if I caused any offense or embarrassment to anyone. It was a poor choice of costume and I apologize."
Some thought that Markle broke a subtle royal rule at the 2018 British Fashion Awards.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex made a surprise appearance at the British Fashion Awards in 2018 to present the womenswear designer of the year award to her wedding-dress designer, Clare Waight Keller of Givenchy.
She donned a black, one-shouldered Givenchy gown with a sleek bun. But it was her striking black nails that stole the show because the queen reportedly only approves of subtle polish colors.
PETA had some thoughts about Middleton's fur-lined gloves in 2016.
Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Sussex took their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, on a ski trip in 2016, and the animal-rights activist group PETA UK took note of the duchess' possum-fur-lined gloves.
In a statement to E! News, a spokesperson for PETA UK said they would be contacting Middleton if the fur was real to inform her about the inhumane ways designers kill animals for their clothes.
In 2018, Markle wore a dress with the tag still attached.
In October 2018, Markle arrived in Tonga for an official engagement with her husband, Prince Harry, with the tag still visibly attached to her dress.
It was an embroidered red dress from Self-Portrait, and the duchess handled the appearance with class - reminding us all that even some of the most famous individuals make mistakes.
Markle caused a stir with her 2019 Wimbledon outfit, which included jeans and a hat.
During Wimbledon 2019, Markle wore a hat and jeans - reportedly because she wanted to be incognito.
But according to The Times, because of her outfit, Markle was not allowed to watch the game from the royal box, though it's unclear if she actually ever intended to do so.
Reportedly, wearing denim is frowned upon and "not allowed" in members' areas at Wimbledon. In addition, Markle was also wearing a hat, another item of clothing that's believed to be banned from the royal box.
Although there are no official Wimbledon rules against Markle's ensemble, many noted how much her outfit contrasted with Middleton's. The Duchess of Cambridge had worn a white button-down dress to sit in the royal box a few days prior.
Princess Margaret bucked tradition with her wedding tiara.
Princess Margaret's stunning wedding gown was a classic royal style - it was even designed by Norman Hartnell, who also made Queen Elizabeth's wedding dress.
However, instead of borrowing a tiara from the Crown Jewel collection as many royal brides do for their nuptials, the princess broke tradition and wore one that she'd gotten at an auction the year before.
Princess Diana turned heads with her halter-neck dress.
Amid her divorce proceedings, Princess Diana attended the Serpentine Gallery Summer Party in 1995.
She wore a halter-neck dress with a plunging neckline and a short skirt - all of which went against the standard royal "dress code."
Middleton wore an off-the-shoulder dress to the BAFTAs in 2017.
Similarly to some of the other royal women on this list, the Duchess of Cambridge ditched a traditional, modest neckline in favor of this off-the-shoulder Alexander McQueen gown in 2017.
She went on to wear the same dress to a function in 2019, but this time, it featured more conservative cap sleeves.
Markle hopped on the "no pants" fashion trend in 2018 with this tuxedo dress.
When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex went to a performance of "Hamilton" in summer 2018, Markle wore a suit dress reminiscent of the "no pants" trend that was popular in Hollywood at the time.
Although the style itself was relatively conservative, minidresses (or any dresses above the knee) aren't exactly typical in royal fashion.
At the time, there were also reports that she wore the dress in response to Prince Harry's reported desire for her to wear more traditional dresses instead of pantsuits, which sparked its own kind of controversy.
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