British fashion houses are finding themselves in an awkward position now that Meghan Markle has returned to the UK. Many big brands are having serious conversations about whether they should be seen to be styling the former working royal, as they fear that by doing so, they risk alienating the Princess of Wales and other family members.
Brands forced to pick a side
“We’ve had to have a meeting about it,” one industry insider said. “We were about to send some products to her team when someone asked is it worth it as we currently have Kate and other royals wearing our brand.”
And I’m told this isn’t something that’s limited to just one brand, many are having to “pick a side”, as the source put it. Meghan and Catherine have developed quite distinctive styles, with the Princess favouring simple elegance, sharp tailoring and single-tone outfits and the Duchess opting for over-sized looks in neutral shades.
But they often opt for similar designers and with the pair not having spoken for years and no love lost between them, the Sussexes return is proving a headache for brands.
Princess of Wales remains priority
“The Princess is our priority and we’ve decided to continue supporting her. We don’t want to risk losing her so Meghan won’t be getting anything from us.”
While it’s more than likely that Catherine won’t pay attention to the brand and styling of her sister-in-law and wouldn’t choose to sever ties to avoid a clash, brands clearly believe it’s a real issue and feel that it’s either one or the other.
Though Kensington Palace have made it clear they want coverage to be about what Catherine says and does rather than what she wears, there’s no avoiding the insatiable appetite to know the specifics of her outfits. When she wears a specific brand there is what is known as “the Kate effect” prompting a spike in sales and demand for a specific label.
Meghan has the same effect, something she has sought to monetise, but brands clearly think that the Princess is the one who will have the most benefit to their image - and who can blame them?
Duty and service on show
The Prince and Princess of Wales launched a new suicide prevention toolkit on Thursday. After another tricky week for the Royal Family, with the usual briefings and counter-briefings between the Sussexes and the Palace, William and Catherine put on a show of unity on Thursday. The Princess made an unscheduled appearance alongside her husband as he launched a new suicide prevention campaign at the Everton football stadium in Liverpool.
She wanted to support her husband as he unveiled the landmark initiative - which also sought to underscore the power of working together on important issues. Standing shoulder to shoulder, the future king and queen showed two people whose fate as non-working royals was confirmed this week, what duty and service is all about.
Prince George starts at Eton
Prince George began his first day at Eton College last week. The second in line to the throne has just completed his first week at Eton College, and he couldn’t have looked more excited for his new adventure on Tuesday. The young prince bounded up to his new headmaster, flanked by his parents, and in the three official portraits released afterwards he was grinning from ear to ear.
Dressed in his new school uniform, Eton’s iconic morning dress and stiff white collar, George couldn’t have looked any more grown up if he tried. It’s certainly a huge moment for both him and his parents, as their firstborn child flies the nest and serves as a reminder at just how quickly time goes.
Princess's hospital visit
The Princess of Wales wrapped up the royal week with a poignant visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital in London to learn about how funds raised through her Three Peaks Challenge are being used. In June, the princess climbed the three highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales within 24 hours, to raise money for the hospital that treated her for cancer.
The funds are being channeled into holistic care as she spoke from personal experience that “the journey through and beyond treatment requires more than medicine alone”. Catherine’s visit on Friday highlights the empathy she has for those facing similar challenges that she did, and that she wants to use her position to support cancer patients and their families.
All eyes on Harry
All eyes will be on Meghan Markle’s Instagram account on Tuesday as she is expected to share a gushy post wishing her husband, Prince Harry, a happy birthday. It will be interesting to see if she releases any recently taken images from their new home in the Cotswolds, having moved back to Britain at the end of last month. One thing is for certain though, there will be no public well wishes from the King and Queen or Prince and Princess of Wales – and perhaps maybe not even a phone call.
