Meghan Markle Just Broke Royal Protocol In A White Mini Dress And Red Lipstick—But We Think She Looks So Chic!

All eyes were on Meghan Markle during the course of the Invictus Games in the Netherlands at the weekend. Some people may have been watching the Duchess of Sussex’s every move in order to criticize her at a later date (Piers Morgan, we’re looking at you!) but many others were just happy to admire her wardrobe after so long without an official engagement. And we definitely fall into the latter category!

There’s no denying that the 40-year-old mom-of-two’s wardrobe was particularly wow-worthy over the course of her and Prince Harry’s appearances during the games – and her most spectacular outfit definitely had to be the long-sleeved white Valentino laser-cut mini dress she wore on Sunday, April 17th! The styling was perfection too, as she teamed the dress with dark brown Manolo Blahnik pumps, wore her hair in a simple down do with a subtle wave, and gave a nod to her pre-Duchess Hollywood actress life with a bold, red lip! A mini dress and a red lip, however glamorous, does actually go against royal protocol, so Meghan may not have been able to treat us to this look had she and Prince Harry not stepped down as senior royals back in January 2020.

As many royal enthusiasts will know, dresses with a hem above the knee are usually frowned upon by the royal family – although the Duchess of Cambridge has exposed her knees on more than a few occasions over the years – so this extreme mini dress most definitely wouldn’t have gotten the green light if Meghan was still a senior royal.

And akin to bright and colorful nail polish, which is a definite no-no as royals tend to stick to clear or nude shades (Her Majesty herself is known to be a fan of Essie’s ‘Ballet Slippers,’ FYI) royals don’t seem to wear much color in terms of lipstick either; so Meghan’s daring scarlet lip is most definitely against royal protocol! However, despite breaking so many sartorial rules and wearing a super mini dress *and* red lipstick, Meghan actually exuded class and elegance, and we think she looked extremely chic and stylish in her ensemble!

Meghan seemed to be fond of both Valentino and the lighter color palette during her brief visit to the Netherlands, as she also wore a crisp Valentino power suit from the Spring 2022 collection while attending a welcome reception ahead of the games on Friday, April 15th. She teamed it with the very covetable Valentino white and gold One Stud bag, and her custom Aquazzura heels, which she actually wore to her wedding reception back in 2018!