On Tuesday afternoon, the Prince of Wales hosted a garden party at Buckingham Palace on behalf of King Charles.
Princess Catherine, along with Prince William, invited other young members of the royal family to join them. Among those present were Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, and Mike Tindall. Despite the drizzly weather, Zara seemed to send a subtle message to Meghan Markle with her fashion choices.
Zara looked stunning in a white dress 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 rain, Zara added an unexpected piece to her outfit: clear protective stoppers on her heels to prevent damage to the grass. This subtle accessory sparked speculation among royal fans that Zara was sending a message to Meghan Markle, who was recently criticized for wearing high heels on grass.
Last month, Meghan Markle faced criticism for wearing high heels to a polo match. Meghan chose killer nude heels costing £558 by her favorite designer, Aquazzura, for Harry's Royal Salute Polo Challenge for Sentebale in Palm Beach, Miami. Royal fans questioned her choice, suggesting wedges would have been more suitable for the grassy field. Instagram user @McCoyKatherine wrote, "Wedge heels would have better completed the casual elegant look for the occasion," while @CalmNavy added, "If I were wearing this, I think I would have paired it with wedges instead of stilettos, but that's just me." Another fashion fan questioned Meghan's footwear choice, stating, "Stilettos to a grass game? Really not elegant," while another simply wrote, "Heels on turf?"
This isn't the only sporting event where Meghan has braved high heels. She has been spotted in stilettos on a rugby field, a basketball court, and even a running track. Meghan's sister-in-law, the Princess of Wales, is known for choosing practical footwear like trainers and loafers when attending sporting engagements. For instance, in 2022, while watching Harry play a polo match in Santa Barbara, Meghan copied Julia Roberts' look from "Pretty Woman" with a polka-dot blouse, white shorts, and another pair of Aquazzura heels. She also opted for stilettos during last year's Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, extending her height during some of the events, including wheelchair basketball.
This isn't the first time Zara has thrown shade at Meghan Markle. In 2022, Zara and Catherine joined forces to subtly dismiss Meghan's claims. Since stepping down as senior working royals in 2020, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have made several claims against the royal family, notably in their tell-all Netflix documentary "Harry & Meghan," which premiered on December 8, 2022. Meghan revealed that she intentionally avoided wearing bright colors during her time as a royal to avoid clashing with senior family members, opting instead for a basic color palette of camel, beige, and white.
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, Meghan's theory was challenged when Princess Catherine wore a festive deep burgundy coat with striking buttons from Eponine London, complemented by a matching bag and shoes. Other members of the royal family embraced the same shade. Zara Tindall wore a similar coat, and Catherine's daughter, Princess Charlotte, also donned 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.
This coordinated effort among the royal family members was seen by many as a response to Meghan's claims, showcasing a united front and subtly countering the narrative presented in the documentary.
