How Meghan Markle Honored the Queen With Her State Funeral Outfit

Meghan Markle joined the royal family with grace today to honor the life of Queen Elizabeth II at her state funeral. And like Kate Middleton and Princess Charlotte, Meghan used her outfit's accessories to pay tribute to the late monarch.

Meghan notably wore the pearl and diamond drop earrings that the Queen gave her during the women's first joint engagement in 2018. As Women's Wear Daily points out, wearing pearls is a royal family mourning tradition that dates back to the age of Queen Victoria. Pearls are seen as a symbol of purity and tears. Meghan paired her pearl and diamond earrings today with a black cape dress by Stella McCartney and a Stephen Jones wide-brimmed hat.

Meghan also wore the earrings to honor the Queen while at the coffin procession ceremony on Wednesday last week.

Meghan spoke about her relationship with the Queen and how the late monarch treated her during their first engagement together, where the earrings were gifted, in her March 2021 Oprah interview.

“The queen, for example, has always been wonderful to me,” Meghan said then. “I mean, we had one of our first joint engagements together. She asked me to join her, and I went on the train. And we had breakfast together that morning and she gave me a beautiful gift and I just really loved being in her company, and I know we were in the car—Yeah, she gave me some beautiful pearl earrings and a matching necklace—and we were in the car going between engagements. And she has a blanket that sits across her, her knees, for warmth and it was chilly and she was like, Meghan, come on, and put it over my knees as well.”

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