Fans Pick Sides as Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton Face off in ‘the Dress Battle’
A dress battle brewed on social media when Meghan Markle stepped out with Prince Harry to accept an award at the Ripple of Hope Gala in December 2022 and fans noticed something familiar about her dress. That’s because days earlier the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton) wore a similar gown when she was in the U.S. with Prince William for the Earthshot Prize Awards.
As the duke and duchess smiled for cameras on the carpet, Twitter lit up with what was coined “the dress battle.” Here’s what some fans on Team Kate and Team Meghan said about which dress they liked the best.
The dresses the princess and the duchess wore days apart
On Dec. 2, 2022 the Princess of Wales donned an off-the-shoulder lime-green colored dress from Solace London, which she paired with an emerald choker previously worn by Princess Diana, to the Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony in Boston.
Not to be outdone, four days later the Duchess of Sussex rocked a white off-the-shoulder number designed by Louis Vuitton, which she accessorized with her aquamarine ring that once belonged to her mother-in-law, for the Ripple of Hope Gala in New York City.
While most royal fans would agree both women looked stunning, some Twitter users had a little fun calling it a “dress battle” and deciding who wore it better.
Team Kate accused Meghan of copying her sister-in-law
As Express noted, while some royal fans declared “Princess Kate won the dress battle,” others accused Meghan of copying her sister-in-law’s look.
A user who commented on Meghan’s outfit tweeted: “This is one of her better looks. I think it really works on her. But Princess Kate just wore an off-the-shoulder dress with a huge emerald necklace and I think Meghan absolutely took inspiration from her look.”
Another Twitter user posted: “Meghan Markle dons white off-the-shoulder dress with daring thigh-high slit to accept ‘anti-racism’ award in New York with Prince Harry — days after Princess of Wales wore near-identical design to Earthshot gala in Boston.”
Meanwhile, Bethan Holt, fashion director for The Daily Telegraph, spoke to People about the princess’s look and opined that the bold color was not only deliberate to coincide with the actual event but was also a sartorial nod to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
“The green dress was such an eye-popping color it had so many echoes of the late queen to me,” Holt said. “To do something so unexpected and carry it off, it was such an amazing fashion moment.”
Team Meghan noted that she has been wearing boatneck styles for years
Following the accusations that Prince Harry’s wife copied Prince William’s wife’s look, a number of social media users defended Meghan. One Twitter user even pointed to a 2018 Harper’s Bazaar article titled: “The Boatneck Neckline Is Officially Meghan Markle’s Signature.”
A second fan agreed and posted photos showing the duchess wearing the boatneck style not just at the gala in the Big Apple but also for her first Trooping the Colour tweeting: “Meghan Markle’s off-the-shoulder dress game is undefeated.”
And a third person chimed in with their feelings on both dresses writing: “I thought Kate’s dress was pretty. I just didn’t like the color because it matched the carpet. Meghan looks great, as does Harry.”
