Meghan Markle stepped out for The Alliance for Children’s Rights 34th annual Champions for Children on Thursday evening, topping up her Montecito style with a new dress and an old, well-loved accessory that once belonged to Princess Diana.
The Duchess of Sussex, who walked the red carpet with close friend Kelly McKee Zajfen, opted for a strapless, silk navy column dress by Ralph Lauren and strappy black Stuart Weitzman sandals. At its core, it was textbook Meghan Markle look, understated and sophisticated. For accessories, she also kept to old favorites: vintage Chanel round gold button earrings, and a Cartier gold Tank Française watch and Cartier Love bracelet.
The time piece was a sentimental detail, having belonged to Princess Diana, and which her late mother-in-law wore many times for her own public engagements. Once married, Prince Harry gifted the watch to Meghan, who regularly adds it to her looks as a low-key, sweet nod to Diana.
She had the honor presenting her friend, McKee Zajfen, with the Francis M. Wheat Community Service Award on the evening. Kelly McKee Zajfen, who has known the royal for over 20 years, is the co-founder of Alliance of Moms, a non-profit that supports pregnant and parenting teens who are in the foster care system. It is an auxiliary group of the Alliance for Children’’s Rights, a non-profit that provides free legal services and advocacy for caregivers, adoptive parents, children, and teens in Los Angeles’s foster care system.
Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
Ralph Lauren is a staple designer in the Duchess’s wardrobe, wearing the label’s main ready-to-wear gowns and suits, and the more casual diffusion line for its flowy shirts and pants that blend seamlessly into her Montecito mom, quiet luxury aesthetic. And yet, Meghan has embraced a subtle style shift across the last year, experimenting softly with more glamorous looks. The As Ever founder stepped out for a surprise Paris Fashion Week appearance, supporting her friend Pierpaolo Piccioli at his Balenciaga debut swathed in a dramatic white cape. For the Fifteen Percent Gala, she embraced old Hollywood glamour and walked the red carpet solo wearing a Harbison Studio gown with a flowing train.


