Kate Middleton's Dress Sparks Meghan Markle 'Double Standard' Debate

January 21, 2024

Reactions to outfit worn by the Princess of Wales to welcome South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for his state visit to Britain on Tuesday has sparked debate online, with social media users claiming that the seemingly favorable reception would not have been extended to Meghan Markle had she worn something similar during her royal career.

Kate stepped out in an all-red dress, coat and cape ensemble on November 21, to welcome the president with Prince William in London, kicking off a three-day state visit.

The princess was photographed during a ceremonial military event with King Charles, Queen Camilla and the official U.K. and Korean delegations. Members of the press and social media users commented on her legs, which at points were visible while walking or emerging from cars.

On Wednesday, the Daily Mail ran a front-page photograph of Kate stepping down from her car with the headline: "How Kate Got Those Stunning Sculpted Legs."

This was followed by an article written by aesthetics expert Alice Hart-Davis, titled: "CrossFit, Reformer Pilates...even her kneecaps are lovely! Princess Kate shows a flash of leg as she gets out of her car. But WHAT a leg!"

Fans of the princess also took to social media to discuss the moment, with a number of posters contrasting the praise with criticism faced by Meghan when she wore dresses with hemlines that fell above the knee.

Royal blogging page duchessmmgrace wrote of the outfit: "I love this moment for Kate, but can't help but think how it truly pays to be white and thin, cuz I remember notable royal commentators up in arms about Meghan showing some leg at the Hamilton show when she was a working royal. One even making a comment she wish she could tug it down to her knees."

"Man if this were Meghan everyone would say she's attention starved, inappropriate, breaking royal protocol due to showing her bare legs," wrote another fan on X (formerly Twitter) "But Kate the Great can do no wrong. The double standard is why people believe Brit's are racist."

Since leaving the monarchy in 2020 and moving to the U.S. with Prince Harry, Meghan has spoken about her struggle with the way she was reported on by the U.K. press and the treatment she received on social media.

The duchess' fashion choices were increasingly focussed on after her marriage and since then has sported a number of her favored style of mini dresses, with hemlines above the knee.

One example was worn in August 2018, when the royal couple attended a special performance of the musical Hamilton in London's West End theater district.

At the time the dress was reported on as a "revealing" choice for a new member of the royal family, and credited by Vogue as being her "most daring look yet."

Though some social media users have criticized coverage of Kate's outfit on Tuesday and references to her legs for being overly positive, others have suggested an underlying sexist tone in parts.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told Newsweek of the situation that Kate "looked absolutely stunning," but described some of the reporting as "sexism personified."

"You wouldn't believe it was the #MeToo era," he said. "Some of those photos and captions were out of the Stone Age."

In terms of style, Meghan's choices for public events have often seen her celebrated in the fashion world, alongside sister-in-law, Kate, who has featured on best-dressed lists around the world.

In 2021, Meghan addressed some of the online and media antipathy shown towards herself in comparison to Kate. The duchess called comparative stories where one royal was criticized while the other praised "ridiculous," telling Oprah Winfrey that the tabloids "really seemed to want a narrative of a hero and a villain."

She also said that to be a fan of one royal didn't mean people had to be critical of the other.

"I think so much of what I have seen play out is this idea of polarity," she explained, "where if you love me, you don't have to hate her. And if you love her, you don't need to hate me."

Newsweek approached Kensington Palace via email for comment.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.

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