Elizabeth Holmes - HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style

What they are wearing is the way they make their statement, its the way that they claim their place in history.

ROBIN GIVHAN, THE WASHINGTON POST

THE MORNING THAT MEGHAN MARKLE MARRIED PRINCE HARRY, I SET MY ALARM for long before dawn, giving myself plenty of time to shower, do my hair and makeup, and properly attach my fascinator. I was not headed to St. Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle (as much as I wished I were!), but I had splurged for my own VIP accommodations: a room at the Four Seasons near my California home, some 5,000 miles from the happy couple. I was on assignment for Harpers Bazaar, tasked with providing my exclusive commentary on the festivities, and the hotel room gave me space to work away from my husband and young children. I was alone there, but it sure didnt feel like it. Clutching my iPhone, I had a bevy of fellow royal enthusiasts on hand waiting to discussand gush!with me on social media. I changed from the fluffy white hotel robe into the fresh set of pajamas I bought for the occasion (and ironed in advance, naturally). Perched on the end of the bed, I flipped on the television and waited anxiously for the first glimpse of the bride and her dress.

My carefully orchestrated viewing party of one was much more considered than the first royal wedding I watched live back in 2011. When Kate Middleton married Prince William, I was in the throes of planning my own nuptials and found myself hopelessly drawn to the real-life fairy tale of a commoner finding her prince. I pulled an all-nighter in order to follow along, having flown cross-country the night before to Los Angeles from New York. My now-husband picked me up at the airport and we raced through the empty city streets, listening to the pre-event coverage on the radio. I made it to a television just moments before the future Duchess of Cambridge appeared in the back seat of a chauffeured Rolls-Royce.

Will and Kates wedding was my introduction to the House of Windsor. I had been aware of the fancy family across the pondmy college roommate and I definitely talked about Will once or twicebut I wasnt entrenched in its regular happenings or long history. I was too young to follow Diana in real time; the Queen was less of a stately figurehead to me than an adorable, elegant grandma clad in very colorful clothing. But Kate felt like a contemporary with a really compelling story. I was intrigued enough to keep tabs on the wedding planning, and hooked by the time the big day rolled around.

I still smile thinking about it. I held my breath as Kate stepped out of the car in her stunning Alexander McQueen gown and swooned as the newlyweds exited the church to the joyous combination of church bells and cheers. The hastiness of their first kiss (or was it a peck?) on the balcony of Buckingham Palace made me chuckle, as did the crowds demand for a do-over. When pictures emerged of Kates second dress for the evening reception, my heart soared. She was wearing a sparkly belt that looked a lot like the one I planned to wear to my own reception later that year. It was all utterly enchanting and turned me into an enthusiastic royal follower.

Their wedding coincided with a new professional chapter for me. Many years into my decade-long run at the Wall Street Journal, I moved from covering corporate news to the features team. As a newly minted style reporter, I sat in the front row at fashion weeks in New York and London, and interviewed big-name designers and stylists for A-list celebs, as well as some of the stars themselves. Writing for a newspaper renowned for its financial coverage, my articles focused on the inner business workings of the global fashion industry. I looked at how brands were built and marketed, as well as how collections were designed and positioned to entice shoppers. I had always loved clothes and known how beautiful they could be; my reporting taught me just how much influence and meaning fashion held, too.

In 2017, my royal interests and professional pursuits merged when I began commenting on Kate and Meghan via social media. It started quite casually, as I screenshotted pictures and punctuated them with quippy asides like HERE FOR IT! The pithy remarks were my way of delighting in the pageantry or poking fun at the formality. But the more I followed the womens appearances, the more I saw beneath the shiny veneer. Their clothes were sending a message, which I was able to parse after years of reporting in this space. I began doing my own research on the history of royal fashion; my commentary grew much more informed around a profound appreciation for the thought these women put into their outfits.

By Harry and Meghans wedding, in the spring of 2019, decoding royal fashion had become part of my job. It was so exciting to see a biracial American woman join the royal family, and the sartorial choices that day felt deeply meaningful. I delighted in the Queens choice of a vibrant neon green coat and hat, which ensured she stood out in the crowd. The mother of the bride, Doria Ragland, wore an eye-catching shade of paler lime that coordinated so nicely (and, I want to believe, quite purposefully) with Her Majesty; the floral embroidery around the bottom half of Dorias coat was reminiscent of the design on her daughters veil. Kates Alexander McQueen coat dress resembled a style we had seen her wear before, a gracious attempt to avoid stealing the spotlight.

But it was Meghans sleek, strikingly minimal gown that moved me to tears. Designed by Clare Waight Keller, the first female British head of the famed French fashion house Givenchy, it featured a bateau neckline and just six exquisitely placed seams. Without a hint of lace or sparkle, it was worlds away from the massive, frothy confection that nearly swallowed up Princess Diana on her wedding day. Meghans dress was modern and sophisticated, representing the global appeal of the woman wearing it. It was just very much not a princess dress, said Robin Givhan, the Pulitzer Prizewinning fashion critic at the Washington Post. She wasnt going to be floated down the aisle like a prize.