Why Meghan Markle Was Not Wearing Her Name Tag
Meghan Markle just attended her first ever Royal Ascot Tuesday as a member of the British royal family.
The annual five-day horse-racing event requires quite the strict dress code, including asking all ladies to cover their shoulders and wear hats and name tags. But on day one of the event, the Duchess of Sussex noticeably did not wear her pin, choosing to hold it in her hand instead. Prince Harry, who was by her side for most of the occasion, wore his purple-and-white pin on his lapel.
"At Ascot everyone is given a badge, mainly to get them through security," royal expert Duncan Larcombe tells BAZAAR.com.
Most royals, including Prince William and Kate Middleton, are given name tags at Royal Ascot primarily to indicate that they have access to the Royal Box. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge followed tradition and wore their name tags last year. However, Markle was not the only attendee to pass on wearing the moniker accessory today.
Marlene Koenig, a royal historian and writer of the Royal Musings blog, tells BAZAAR.com that Duchess Camilla, Princess Anne, Princess Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie were also not wearing their pins at the 2018 Royal Ascot, and their choice is not going against royal protocol.
"Wearing pins has nothing to do with protocol," Koenig says. "Protocol is for official, diplomatic, state events, [including] where you sit, when you enter, etc."
"Perhaps [Meghan] did not want to ruin that nice Givenchy dress with a pin hole," Koenig adds.
The Duchess of Sussex wore a stunning off-white Givenchy dress with a black-and-white hat to match for a flawless monochromatic look.
The French designer is clearly one of Markle's favorites. She wore a Givenchy gown for the royal wedding and yet another Givenchy dress for her first solo engagement with the Queen last week.
No name tags ruined those outfits, either.
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