Meghan Markle Says She Wanted to 'Look Like a Rainbow' During Final Royal Engagements

The Duchess of Sussex talked about her departure from more neutral hues in her final days as a senior working royal in episode 5 of the Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan

Meghan Markle colorful outfits
Photo: Karwai Tang/WireImage; Samir Hussein/WireImage; Karwai Tang/WireImage

Meghan Markle opted to step out in style — and vivid color — for her last week as a working royal.

Recalling her whirlwind final week of engagements around London before stepping down as senior working royals in early March 2020, both Meghan and Prince Harry said in episode 5 of their Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan that they wanted to make an impact.

"Until that last week in the U.K. I rarely wore color," said Meghan, 41, echoing comments she made in an earlier episode of the series. "I never wanted to upstage or ruffle any feathers, so I just tried to blend in. But I wore a lot of color that week. I thought: 'Well, let's just look like a rainbow.' "

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Added Harry, 38: "It was our opportunity to go out with a bang to be honest."

Meghan's style choices that week included a blue Victoria Beckham dress, worn for the March 5 Endeavour Awards, that created some of the couple's most iconic photos as they stepped out smiling at each other underneath an umbrella in the rain.

Two days later, Meghan matched Harry in his military reds, wearing a dramatic caped dress by Safiyaa with matching pumps by Stuart Weitzman and a Manolo Blahnik clutch for the Mountbatten Music Festival at Royal Albert Hall.

And for their final engagement, the much-talked-about March 9 Commonwealth Day celebration, Meghan opted for a green Emilia Wickstead dress with a matching fascinator by William Chambers, plus a bag by Gabriella Hearst and nude pumps from Aquazzura.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales attend the Commonwealth Day Service 2020 on March 9, 2020 in London, England.
Phil Harris - WPA Pool/Getty

In the same episode, Harry also recounted how "distant" and "cold" his family felt to him at that final event.

"We had left Westminster Abbey, and then that was it," Meghan said. "Of course it was emotional."

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Meghan also said the couple's departure "never needed to be this way. We talked about this over and over again, sitting up late in the kitchen after these late-night engagements, saying we're going to carry on doing this for the rest of our lives."

She continued, "I thought the public ... they've been fed these lies for two years, what do they think of me? They must hate us. No. The people were just so embracing. They were sad that we were leaving. We were sad that we were leaving."

The segment concluded with a selfie video of Harry, saying, "I'm going to miss the British public. I'm not going to miss the British press and their followers and the trolls they create. I'm going to miss this country. So is Meghan."

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