Meghan Markle has never been shy about opening up about the challenges of life as a royal, and in her latest interview, she revealed one seemingly small but telling detail that felt especially “inauthentic.”
The Duchess of Sussex, 44, appeared on The Circuit with Emily Chang for Bloomberg Originals, where she discussed her life now in California, her ventures with Prince Harry, and what it was really like adjusting to royal rules when she was still part of the monarchy.
The Rule Meghan Markle Found “Inauthentic”
When asked whether there was tension between being relatable and fulfilling her role as Duchess, Meghan admitted that in her royal days she often couldn’t express herself fully.
“I had to wear nude pantyhose all the time,” she revealed with a laugh. “Let’s be honest, that was not very myself. I hadn’t seen pantyhose since the ‘80s, when they came in the little egg. That felt a little bit inauthentic.”
For Meghan, something as simple as a wardrobe rule became symbolic of the restrictions placed upon her as a royal. “When you’re able to dress the way you wanna dress and say the things that are true, that’s being comfortable in your own skin,” she explained.
Why Royal Fashion Rules Mattered So Much
This isn’t the first time Meghan has spoken about clothing as a way of navigating her royal role. In her 2022 Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, she admitted that she often wore muted tones—camel, beige, white—specifically to “blend in” and avoid clashing with Queen Elizabeth or senior royals like Kate Middleton and Camilla.
“You could never wear the same color as Her Majesty if there’s a group event,” Meghan explained. “But then you also shouldn’t be wearing the same color as one of the other more senior members of the family.”
Choosing subdued colors wasn’t about personal style, but about avoiding attention. “There was no version of me joining this family and me not doing everything I could to fit in. I don’t want to embarrass the family,” she admitted.
Life After Royal Rules
Today, Meghan says she no longer feels the pressure to prove herself or follow expectations that don’t feel true to her identity. “Right now, no, I don’t feel that I need to prove anything,” she said.
Her new lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, recently premiered its second season on Netflix, featuring moments of cooking, crafting, and creating with guests like Chrissy Teigen, Tan France, Jay Shetty, and José Andrés.
While pantyhose may seem like a trivial rule, Meghan’s story highlights something larger: the tension between personal authenticity and the rigid expectations of royalty. For Meghan, shedding those rules has meant reclaiming her own voice—and her style.