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The Duchess of Sussex wears a red Carolina Herrera dress

Meghan Markle recycles her most controversial dress and wears it like a total bombshell

The Duchess of Sussex revived a daring red number from her royal wardrobe

Georgia Brown
Senior Lifestyle & Fashion Writer
October 6, 2024
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Few can wear red quite as exceptionally as the Duchess of Sussex

Stepping into the limelight without her husband Prince Harry on Saturday evening, Meghan Markle made a surprise appearance at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Gala 2024. She wore a spellbinding scarlet dress from one of her favourite designers, Carolina Herrera.

It's not the first time the Duchess has worn the red plunge column gown, which features a dramatic plunging neckline and detachable, billowing overskirt. 

woman posing in red dress© Shutterstock
Meghan wore a figure-skimming Carolina Herrera gown

The last time Meghan wore the striking dress was in 2021, in one of the first public appearances she and Prince Harry made after welcoming their daughter, Princess Lilibet, who was born in the United States. 

couple on red carpet at gala © Getty Images
Meghan first wore her vibrant gown in November 2021 at the Salute To Freedom Gala

The breathtaking gown dominated headlines at the time, captivating the attention of royal style fans for its unusually 'daring' neckline that Meghan would likely never have worn had she not stepped away from royal life.

The raven-haired Duchess looked beautiful at the time, sweeping her glossy hair into a neat, ballerina-esque updo and slipping into scarlet-hued Giuseppe Zanotti slingback pumps. 

The first time Meghan wore the dress, it had a billowing satin train© Getty
The first time Meghan wore the dress, it had a billowing satin train

She accessorized with her late mother-in-law Princess Diana's diamond tennis bracelet, along with her Cartier 'Love' bracelet in yellow gold and delicate diamond leaf earrings. 

Giving her dress a 2024 revamp, three years on from the last memorable time she wore it, the mother-of-two chose to re-wear her unforgettable bombshell dress. 

woman in red dress © Getty
The mother-of-two wore the same dress without it's dramatic full skirt

This time, Meghan removed the billowing scarlet skirt, revealing a slimline silhouette, fluid column dress elevated with a thigh-high split.

Meghan's tumbling black hair was styled in effortless beachy waves that fell past her shoulders as she rocked a natural, glowy makeup and went without jewellery - aside from her striking, three-stone diamond engagement ring - keeping her dress the talking point of her look. 

The Duchess sported flowing, beachy waves© Getty
The Duchess sported flowing, beachy waves

Royals recycling red carpet looks

It's not the first time royalty has gone against the fashion grain and recycled a pre-loved look. Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, is one of the most prolific outfit repeaters in the royal family, while Catherine, the Princess of Wales has been known to wear the same dress to the same event, several years in a row.

Princess Anne wears a cream and navy coat© Shutterstock / Getty
The Princess Royal often wears the same clothes decades apart
 

In 2023, Kate refashioned a white Grecian-inspired Alexander McQueen dress at the BAFTAs, switching up the neckline and adding black opera gloves to make it almost unrecognisable from the same dress she wore to the BAFTAs in 2019. 

Kate Middleton wears a white one-shoulder dress to the BAFTAs© Getty
The Princess of Wales re-wore one of her famous dresses

The Princess also attended the Earthshot Prize Awards with her husband Prince William in 2021 in a lilac Alexander McQueen gown with a Grecian-style one-shoulder neckline.

Kate Middleton in a purple dress© Getty
The Princess has re-worn dresses several times since being in the royal spotlight

 It adhered to the awards' dress code, which asked attendees to "consider the environment when choosing their outfit" since she had previously worn it in 2011 to a BAFTA event in Los Angeles.

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