Just two days old, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor made his television debut swaddled in white cloth and matching his mother, Meghan Markle.
The new parent, also clad in cream, wore a sleeveless trench dress for the Windsor Castle press conference. Though the midi was first reported to be from Givenchy, the house that made Markle’s wedding dress, it was later clarified to come courtesy of London-based menswear designer Grace Wales Bonner.
Unlike her royal predecessors Kate Middleton and Lady Diana, who opted for bright, patterned frocks during their first post-birth appearances, Markle chose a pristine, clear eggshell hue.
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The duchess highlighted her midsection with not just her artfully bowed belt, but a row of six brown buttons, slanted pockets, and a v neckline that pointed directly down to it.
The Daily Mail so helpfully dubbed Markle's waist “mum tum,” and the duchess earned points for realism in accentuating her maternal figure.
There are approximately 250 babies born per minute, and no doubt their mothers also experience uterine expansion. The fact that anyone—Markle included—should be celebrated for a very normal reaction to motherhood is absurd.
Lest we dub her a bastion of relatability too quickly, draw your eyes downward and notice Markle also walked in wearing $700 four inch Manolos.
Regardless of price, Markle’s look seemed thoughtfully crafted, perhaps the product of several team members and various discussions.
People reported that designer Grace Wales Bonner “uses her mixed-race heritage as a key reference in her collections.” The young Londoner has championed gender fluidity and black culture in her work.
Markle opting to wear Bonner seems fitting, considering Archie is the first mixed race baby in the royal family,
Did such historical significance need to be verbalized during a light-hearted press conference given by two exhausted new parents? No—but Markle’s sartorial nod spoke just loudly enough.
Though Markle stroked Archie's head while she spoke in a low, measured voice to reporters, she silently broke another royal tradition. In the past while leaving the hospital, Kate Middleton has held her children with Prince Williams standing at her side. Diana cradled her sons, too.
But Harry held his baby with confidence, two days in and now a smooth professional. He wore a light gray, slim-fitting suit and skinny navy tie. The smart tailoring looked sleek enough to match Markle's elevated, urban Earth Mother ease.
Harry-as-Hot-Dad came as a slight surprise, considering he first announced Archie’s birth in a rather bro-y sweater and jeans combination. Today, remnants of Harry the Bro remained in his accessories—desert boots and beaded bracelets.
While leaving with Archie, Markle put her arm around Harry's back. Their body language mimicked the hug they gave each other walking away from reporters after announcing their engagement in 2017. (Markle also wore a white trench for that occasion.)
Much has changed since them—including the addition of another tiny human to their family—but the statement remains: when it comes to image, they are in total control.
