08 December 2023 , 16:15
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Kate Middleton, Zara Tindall and several other royals chose very symbolic dresses for last year's Christmas carol event, following claims from Meghan Markle about fashion protocol.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's explosive Netflix 2022 docuseries was full of bombshell claims. They ranged from allegations about Prince William screaming at the Sandringham Summit to Harry accusing the Palace of leaking his plans to leave the Firm.
However, one allegation that piqued the interest of fashion fans was Meghan claiming she purposely opted not to wear bright colours during her time as a royal. Speaking in the third episode, the 41-year-old explained that her usual colour palette of "camel, beige, white" was a deliberate choice.
Kate arrives at her Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey (PA)"There was thought in that. To my understanding, you can't ever wear the same colour as Her Majesty if there's a group event," she said. "I wore a lot of muted tones but it also was so I could just blend in. Like I’m not trying to stand out here."
She also doubled down on the claim in episode five when she explained: "Until that last week in the UK, I rarely wore colour and I never wanted to upstage or ruffle any feathers, so I just tried to blend in. But I wore a lot of colour that week. I felt, 'Well, let's just look like a rainbow.'"
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However, several royals appeared to turn that theory on its head by sending a subtle message with their sartorial choices at a huge family event at Christmas last year. The Princess of Wales hosted the Christmas Carol concert at Westminster Abbey, which was attended by a raft of royals including the King and Queen. For the event, she opted for a festive deep burgundy coat from Eponine London, which she paired with a matching colour clutch bag and shoes.
Zara Tindall attended the event and wore a coat in the same colour as Kate's (Getty Images)
Zara with Kate's dad Michael, mum Carole, brother-in-law James and sister Pippa, who also wore a burgundy coat (Getty Images)However, she wasn't the only royal wearing the same colour for the Christmas service. William and Harry's cousin Zara Tindall also wore a coat in the same colour - and even Kate's daughter Princess Charlotte was in the colour.
And although not royal, Kate's sister Pippa Matthews also sported a coat in the same deep red hue. Meanwhile, when it came to the men William had a burgundy tie, as did Zara's husband Mike Tindall.
Meghan wore vibrant green for her last royal engagement (WireImage)Kensington Palace said the second carol service was dedicated to the late Queen and the values she demonstrated throughout her life, including "duty, empathy, faith, service, kindness, compassion and support for others".
A Christmas tree in the abbey was decorated with small Paddington Bear decorations, a nod to the late Queen's famous sketch, while guests were greeted with atmospheric snowflakes from a snow machine as they arrived at the entrance.
Kate is preparing to host the event for another year running. And senior royal family members are again expected to attend and support the Princess of Wales after Omid Scobie's book Endgame reignited the royal race row.
The concert will be broadcast on Christmas Eve and will combine traditional and modern elements to encompass people of all faiths and none. It will see the Westminster Abbey choir perform some of the nation's favourite carols. Singers Beverley Knight and Adam Lambert, multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier, performer Freya Ridings and singer-songwriter James Bay will be among the entertainers while those giving readings will include Emma Willlis and Roman Kemp.