On Tuesday afternoon, the Prince of Wales hosted a garden party at Buckingham Palace on behalf of King Charles.
Princess Catherine and Prince William invited other young members of the royal family to join him. Among those present were Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, and Mike Tindall. Despite the drizzly weather, Zara seemed to be sending a subtle message to Meghan Markle.
Zara looked stunning in a white dress adorned with pink buttons, paired with candy pink suede heels and a whimsical Barbie pink hat. While many of the Royals and attendees held umbrellas to shield themselves from the raindrops during the event, Zara added an unexpected piece to her ensemble: clear protective stoppers on her heels to prevent damage to the grass.
Royal fans speculated that Zara's choice of stiletto heel protectors was a subtle message to Meghan Markle. Last month, Meghan was criticized for wearing high heels to a polo match. Meghan opted for expensive nude heels, costing £558 by her favorite designer Aquazzura, at Harry's Royal Salute Polo Challenge for Sentebale in Palm Beach, Miami. However, royal fans questioned Meghan's choice of wearing high-heeled stilettos on grass, potentially ruining the field. One Instagram user, @mccoikatherine, suggested that wedge heels would have better complemented the casual elegant look for the occasion, while another user, @commnavy, echoed this sentiment, preferring wedges over stilettos. Other fashion enthusiasts questioned Meghan's choice, deeming stilettos on grass impractical and inelegant.
Meghan has often dared to brave high heels at various sporting events, including rugby fields, basketball courts, and running tracks. In contrast, her sister-in-law, the Princess of Wales, is known for wearing trainers or loafers when attending sporting engagements. In 2022, while watching Harry play a polo match in Santa Barbara, Meghan channeled Julia Roberts' look from "Pretty Woman," sporting a polka dot blouse, white shorts, and another pair of Aquazzura heels. She also chose stilettos during last year's Invictus Games in Frankfurt, aiming to extend her height during events such as wheelchair basketball.
This is not the first time Zara has seemingly thrown shade at Meghan Markle. In 2022, Zara and Catherine subtly dismissed Meghan's claims made after stepping down as senior working royals in 2020. In the tell-all Netflix documentary "Harry and Meghan," which premiered on December 8, 2022, Meghan revealed she intentionally avoided wearing bright colors during her time as a royal to avoid clashing with senior family members. Instead, she preferred a basic color palette of camel, beige, and white, favoring muted tones.
However, royal watchers suggest that Princess Catherine and Zara Tindall may have subtly countered Meghan's claims. During Catherine's Christmas Carol concert at Westminster Abbey in 2022, Princess Catherine wore a festive deep burgundy coat with striking buttons from Eponine London, complemented by a matching bag and shoes. Other royal family members embraced the same shade, with Zara Tindall wearing a similar coat and Catherine's daughter, Princess Charlotte, also donning burgundy. Catherine's sister, Pippa Matthews, wore a coat in the same color palette, and the royal men joined in as well, with Prince William opting for a burgundy tie and Mike Tindall matching with a tie in the same shade.
