Meghan Markle shamed for wearing dress with thigh-high slit while on tour with Prince Harry

The Duchess of Sussex stepped out in a revealing dress, and some royal watchers are finding it less than appropriate, shaming her for showing too much skin.

Meghan Markle accompanied Prince Harry to Australia’s Fraser Island on Monday for the couple’s Commonwealth tour, but the mother-to-be spent the morning decompressing at Kingfisher Bay Resort while Harry met with locals. When she reunited with her husband later in the day, Meghan was photographed holding her baby bump wearing a summery maxi dress with a slit all the way up to her thigh.

Meghan Markle ruffled some feathers by wearing a linen Reformation dress with a thigh-high slit to contend with Australia’s heat. (Photo: Reuters)
Meghan Markle ruffled some feathers by wearing a linen Reformation dress with a thigh-high slit to contend with Australia’s heat. (Photo: Reuters)

In a post from the official Instagram account of Kensington Palace, commenters gave their unadulterated opinions, with some calling the dress “inappropriate.” Some slyly questioned why Kensington Palace didn’t include Meghan in its photo roundup. “Smart of KP not posting the photo of Meghan wearing that summer dress while visiting this forest. So inappropriate for someone representing the Queen,” one person wrote.

Another commenter, who claimed to be a fan of Meghan’s, went so far as to call the dress a harbinger of things to come. “Things are getting out of control someone should advice [sic] them. She is going to end up as another Fergie who was so popular in the beginning but so unpopular after a few months of mistakes. Look at the other pics. She is holding the dress in order not to open, even her breasts can be seen when she bends to talk to people. Someone needs to protect her. Advice [sic] her.”

Some commenters were not as harsh, calling the outfit a misstep Meghan can recover from. “Everyone is entitled for their bad days also. It happens. Hope she never repeats this again,” one wrote.

And then, of course, there were those who rose to the duchess’s defense. One noted that when you’re pregnant, “the heat is your worst nightmare… Did u forget they’re in Australia??? Leave that girl alone. Meghan is here to stay.” Others claimed the naysayers are “just jealous,” and some even drew comparisons to past outfits worn by other royals, like the late Princess Diana and Meghan’s sister-in-law, Kate Middleton.

Remember the time when Duchess of Cambridge wore a thigh high slit maxi dress for the premiere of A Street Cat Named Bob,” one wrote, referring to Kate’s 2016 red carpet look by Self Portrait. “Well that happened and people were fine with it.” Others were more concerned with Meghan’s rigorous schedule, conceding that whatever it takes for her to feel comfortable while expecting is fine with them.

Kate Middleton arrives on the red carpet in 2016 wearing a Self Portrait evening gown with a thigh-high slit. (Photo: Getty Images)
Kate Middleton arrives on the red carpet in 2016 wearing a Self Portrait evening gown with a thigh-high slit. (Photo: Getty Images)

The outfit in question is the linen Pineapple Dress by Reformation — and it seems the Meghan Markle effect has already taken hold, as the $218 dress is sold out online. And the $245 Sarah Flint Grear gladiator sandals she paired with them are sold out in every size but one.

The royal lovebirds are on day seven of their 16-day tour, and will head over to Fiji on Tuesday.

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