From actress to princess: Meghan Markle's birthday -
The Duchess of Sussex turns 37. Family tension and how her style changed. Look at the photos.
Discreet colors, long dresses and chaste necklines. Meghan Markle has toned down her outfit since she married Prince Harry of England, but every now and then her past style surfaces.
It was a question many asked before the wedding: Will this stylish Californian actress, often seen in short skirts and sandals, fit the royal family mold? Will the newly appointed Duchess of Sussex imitate the typically English conservative style associated with Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, wife of her brother-in-law, Prince William? Should Meghan, who turns 37 this Saturday, go demure?
"Before the wedding, Meghan cultivated a casual Californian style that was a nod to her upbringing," Elizabeth Vollman, who runs the website Meghan's Fashion, told AFP. "Since becoming a duchess, her style had to evolve to fit her new monarchical role and she abandoned the natural 'chic' look for a tailored and demure look, opting for French designers and neutral tones," she explained.
Meghan will not have an official birthday party this Saturday because she will attend the wedding of Harry's friend Charlie van Straubenzee in the city of Surrey. Last year, before the wedding, Meghan had a very special celebration: she was traveling with Harry in South Africa and the British press assures that Lady Di's son organized a barbecue under the stars for her
The climate is different now: the princess will turn 37 amid a family tension. Her father Thomas Markle said this week that he wants to send her a postcard on Saturday to say hello to her, but "if I send it to Kensington Palace, or wherever he is living now, it will be one of thousands. He will probably never see it." Markle Sr. , who has given the Royal House more than one headache, in his latest statements he stated that he is "very hurt" because his daughter "ignores me completely." "I used to have a contact number for her personal assistants at the Palace, but after claiming that the royal family is changing Meghan, they tried to silence me," he told the Daily Mail.
Meanwhile, on this special date, the press puts the magnifying glass on how Meghan, who starred in the American television series about lawyers "Suits", changed her style and in the outfits that she showed since she became a royal.
She assured the Outnet.com website last year that the most comfortable she felt was wearing "jeans, shorts and flip flops." And in her first public appearance with Prince Harry in Toronto in September last year, she wore a pair of ripped jeans and a loose fitting shirt. That happened less than a year ago, but it's an eternity when it comes to the evolution of your personal fashion.
By marrying the grandson of Elizabeth II, Meghan became a member of the royal family, an institution whose traditions dominate the lives of its members, even in terms of clothing.
"The role she has taken on is very austere, she is very serious," fashion designer Stella McCartney, who made the dress Megan wore at her wedding day evening reception, told the BBC. Of the wedding, McCartney assured that "it was the last moment in which she could reflect her other face, the joy and the human being within her".
Belonging to the House of Windsor means representing the monarchy in public events that are widely followed by the media, which does not allow for any extravagance.
Their first public engagement on May 22, three days after their splendid marriage, was a perfect example of family rules. At a garden party at Buckingham Palace, Markle wore a long pale pink dress from Goat, a British designer.
However, some noted that there are some flashes of originality that show that she did not completely renounce her independence.
"Occasionally she tests the limits," Vollman said, citing the sleeveless, off-the-shoulder dress by Venezuelan-born designer Carolina Herrera that she wore to the grand military parade in June.
She also frequently turns to French designers such as Dior or Givenchy, a sign that she does not intend to limit herself to British designers.
