It’s official: Meghan Markle is living a fairytale — especially in her engagement photos with her fiancé Prince Harry which were released by Kensington Palace on Thursday, December 21. The first thing we did? Swoon. The second: we noticed how drastically different Markle’s look was from the photos released for the same occasion by her soon-to-be sister-in-law Kate Middleton.
Markle’s look for the truly dreamy photos taken by Alexi Lubomirski is markedly more glam, and (dare we say it?) sultrier than Middleton’s 2011 outfit. We’ll break it down for you: the royal-to-be posed with her future hubby while wearing a black Ralph and Russo gown (worth $75,000) with a full tulle skirt and sheer, silver beaded bodice with long sleeves. In a separate photo, Markle topped the stunning gown with a cream Victoria Beckham sweater. Our takeaway: The former actress is living her princess dreams — and ours too!
Middleton’s ensemble for her engagement photo shoot (with Mario Testino, nbd), was decidedly more prim. The Duchess of Cambridge wore a cream Reiss shift dress with a ruffled detail for her newly-betrothed moment, sparking such a craze for the modest number that the label re-released the dress in later collections to accommodate immense demand for her frock!
These differences were also echoed in their first royal outing ensembles, with Markle going for sleek and modern separates and Middleton opting for a feminine and demure dress coat with prim accessories.
The one continuity between the two royally-betrothed ladies? Their glossy, bouncy blowouts. While Markle may be opting for edgier twists on classic styles, Middleton reaches for timeless pieces — but we can rely on both of them for inspiration for a smooth a chic blowout.
