First of all, I die. I am dead. Meghan Markle wore a tux to her first evening event as an almost-member of the Royal Family and I don’t know if I’ve ever loved anything more. The fact that it’s Alexander McQueen in an almost nod to traditionalism makes this even more delightful. Here we were thinking this would be Meghan’s first evening gown and she still managed to surprise us.
But before we get to the fashion, let’s take a step back. Tonight, Meghan accompanied Prince Harry to the Endeavour Awards, which celebrates former servicemen and women as they pursue athletic and other physical pursuits as part of their recovery from injuries or illness. It’s held by the Endeavour Fund, which was created by the Royal Foundation back in 2012. As such, it’s quite in line with Harry’s substantive work on behalf of veterans – indeed, he has done quite a bit with this organization over the years – and fitting that Meghan is introduced to it so early on.
Both Harry and Meghan handed out specific awards this evening, which is particularly notable in the latter case since it’s rare for the non-royal half of an engaged couple to be given such formal billing.
The event was held at Goldsmiths Hall, an appropriately regal venue with a long and storied royal history, where the couple met with recipients and guests at a pre-awards reception. Thanks to reporters on hand, including Rebecca English who’s fresh from covering William and Kate in Stockholm, we have some great video from throughout the evening:
Here you can see Meghan handing out an award:
Now, let’s turn to this look, which is pretty much garnering rave reviews alongside a few holdouts who are disappointed there wasn’t a glamorous cocktail look. It’s being referred to mostly as a tux, though that’s a bit of a misnomer. In fact, it’s a black Alexander McQueen suit worn over a white Tuxe bodysuit featuring a bow emblematic of a tie. The look paired with a (high!) pair of black Jimmy Choo heels made this a very feminine and sleek twist on the more traditional masculine tuxedo.
As I’ve said, I adore this. It wasn’t what I was expecting and it answers a question I posed back when they first got engaged, which is what change we would see to Meghan’s style once she was brought into the royal fold. Granted, we’re in the early days and she’s not yet married, but if these first few weeks are any indication, she’s sticking to her roots: polished, modern and inherently American.
It’s unclear when we’ll next see Meghan next, but if she keeps up the same cadence of appearances through the month of February then we can safely assume it’ll be within the next two weeks.