As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex kicked off their visit to Nigeria, all anyone could talk about was Meghan’s dramatically long hair.
Well, not all. There’s the small, and surely not coincidental, fact that the £450 blush silk maxi, from Californian designer Heidi Merrick, she wore to their first engagement is called the ‘Windsor Dress’.
Perhaps Meghan was making a sly reference to comparisons that have been made between her and Wallis Simpson, the late Duchess of Windsor; or maybe it was a nod to her husband’s family name.
Or the sleeveless gown could have just been what she most fancied wearing in the 33C (91F) heat.
It trailed several inches on the ground (was it made to wear with her Aquazzura 4in heels?) and was cut away at the sides and back.
She teamed it with £450 chunky gold earrings from Lanvin, her £5,306 Aurate collar necklace and an array of dazzling bracelets (including her favourite £7,050 Cartier Love Bracelet), as well as her wedding rings and a £49,460 Lorraine Schwartz pinky band.
But her hair was the real talking point: Seemingly longer and knotted at the back to make a naturally tousled ponytail.
The look was more relaxed than her usual sleek coiffure (a tight, glossy ponytail), while her eyebrows were equally dark and bold. Were extensions involved in making her long, soft curls?
Her one-time British hairdresser, George Northwood, previously shut down such rumours in 2020.
Later in the day Meghan wore a sharp £1,800 Altuzarra white trouser suit over a scoop neck top, which was arguably better suited to the occasion.
It also abides by the late Queen’s number one rule that, when on public engagements, her first duty was to stand out in a crowd.
