Meghan Markle isn't one to shy away from breaking royal rules or traditions, so even though
Buckingham Palace was seemingly shocked by Markle and Prince Harry's announcement that
they would be taking a "step back" from their royal duties, the decision seems in keeping
with Markle's style.
Speaking of style, in their infamous Instagram post announcing what's become known as "Megxit,"
the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they wanted to become financially independent.
What will that look like and, at the risk of sounding shallow, how will that impact
Markle's look?
Since the couple said "I do," Meghan and Harry's lifestyle, including her costly wardrobe,
has been funded by the Duchy of Cornwall estate.
In other words, Harry's dad, Prince Charles, has ultimately footed the bill.
But considering these royal renegades have royally upset the royal family, it's quite
possible that Markle's wardrobe, or at the very least, her clothing budget, could be
in jeopardy.
"What?!
Do you see my heart palpitating?"
Markle has seriously upped her fashion game since joining forces with Prince Harry.
While she hasn't always abided by the royal family dress code, she always looks fabulous,
and that's thanks, in part, to the countless designer duds in her wardrobe.
Lucky for her, early reports suggest the duchess will probably get to keep all the clothes
currently sitting in her closet, even if they were purchased via the royal budget.
Royal expert Emma Forbes told Page Six,
"Recently, she's worn everything from Club Monaco to Banana Republic, and those [clothes]
I think she can keep."
Forbes also noted that it's likely the duchess will also get to keep any royal jewelry that
she's been given, including Princess Diana's aquamarine ring.
She told the tabloid,
"I don't think the royal family would strip her of anything like that.
I don't think it'll be so much about them taking stuff away from her, but more about
how to do things moving forward."
Markle isn't afraid to recycle items from her enviable closet, so we're willing to bet
she can still make things work.
However, there's one irreplaceable item that might be missing from her collection post-Megxit.
On her wedding day, Markle donned a stunning, silk Givenchy gown.
In addition to her 16-foot veil, she wore a diamond and platinum bandeau tiara.
Seeing as how the art deco tiara was on loan from her grandmother-in-law, the Queen, Markle
probably doesn't have it sitting in her closet.
But if her wedding dress is currently in her possession, that might not be the case for
much longer.
Forbes told Page Six,
"I don't think her wedding dress would be her property."
That seems a bit odd considering that, even though Kensington Palace reportedly paid for
the general costs of the wedding, it was expected that Markle would foot the bill for her wedding
dress as Kate Middleton did for her wedding to Prince William in 2011.
There's no word at this point as to whether or not Markle actually ended up paying for
her gown, but even if the royal family chipped in, is that really grounds for taking the
dress away altogether?
That seems harsh.
While distancing herself from the royal family won't be without its financial pitfalls, the
freedom Markle will gain could be invaluable.
According to Forbes, as the Duchess of Sussex, Markle wasn't able to freely accept the fashionable
gifts from clothing designers, but now she'll have a little more wiggle room when it comes
to freebies.
Forbes told Page Six,
"I'm sure there will be a way around her accepting freebies, because since they're not going
to be in the royal family in any kind of traditional shape or form, they'll have to rewrite those
rules."
According to The Sun, Markle is allegedly already in talks with top fashion brands to
negotiate commercial deals.
An insider told the tabloid,
"There have already been active discussions with Givenchy.
Some of these deals could be worth millions of pounds."
Only time will tell, but given Markle's passion for fashion, we wouldn't be surprised if she
steps back from her royal duties and struts right into a very stylish partnership.
Regardless of what Markle does next, we know she'll put her best foot forward, no matter
what she's wearing.
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