In the five years since Meghan Markle became a member of the royal family, she has made a number of showstopping appearances on the red carpet of awards galas in both Britain and America.
Known for her simple approach to styling and love of high-end and emerging designers, the Duchess of Sussex has built a loyal fanbase of followers dedicated to charting and replicating her fashion choices.
As a member of the royal family, Meghan has often been a guest of honor at galas, as well as being a recipient of various awards, from an NAACP Image Award to Women of Vision accolade.
Here, Newsweek looks at six of Meghan Markle's most glamorous awards gala fashion moments.
British Fashion Awards
In 2018, while still a working member of the royal family, Meghan made a surprise appearance at the British Fashion Awards, hosted at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
The duchess presented Clare Waight Keller—the designer of the wedding dress she wore earlier that year—with the British Designer of the Year Womenswear Award wearing one of Keller's own creations for the Paris fashion house of Givenchy.
The black asymmetric wrap dress accentuated Meghan's growing pregnancy with her first child, Prince Archie, and the duchess styled it with her classic slicked-back hairdo in a bun and statement gold heels and jewelry.
Salute to Freedom Gala
In 2020, Meghan and Harry split from the monarchy, citing issues with the U.K. media, the royal household and members of the royal family.
In 2021 the couple made their first major gala appearance since moving to the U.S. to attend the Salute to Freedom Gala in New York City, honoring veterans.
For the occasion, Meghan wore a custom vivid red evening gown from the house of Carolina Herrera, low-cut with paneled skirt detailing.
With the statement dress, Meghan accessorized with red satin sling-back heels and diamond jewelry.
NAACP Image Awards
In 2022, Meghan and Prince Harry were recipients of the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards. For the occasion Meghan commissioned a special asymmetric evening gown from the designer, Christopher John Rogers.
Rogers had previously dressed A-listers such as Michelle Obama and Adele, and his creation for Meghan featured an ombre blue trailing chiffon train, which lengthened her silhouette.
Ripple of Hope Awards Gala
Another striking gala appearance of Meghan's was made in December 2022 when she and Prince Harry were honored with a Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award for addressing racial injustice and raising awareness for mental health causes after leaving the royal family.
For the event, the duchess wore a chic all-white off-the-shoulder cocktail dress from the Paris fashion house of Louis Vuitton.
Women of Vision Awards
In New York City in May 2023, Meghan accepted a Women of Vision Award for her support and advocacy of young women and girls around the world.
For the occasion held at the Ziegfeld Theatre in Midtown Manhattan, the duchess wore a glittering cocktail dress by Colombian-born designer Johanna Ortiz.
Meghan styled the dress with gold and diamond accessories and wore her hair in gentle waves across one shoulder.
It was after the Women of Vision gala that Meghan, Harry and Meghan's mom, Doria Ragland, were pursued by paparazzi to the residence in which they were staying, which was later described by their team as a "near-catastrophic car chase."
Variety Power of Women Gala
Meghan's most recent gala appearance took place in November 2023, where she walked the red carpet of the Variety Power of Women gala in Los Angeles.
For the event, which was also attended by stars including Oprah Winfrey, Emily Blunt and Billie Eilish, Meghan wore a classically chic nude evening dress designed by Proenza Schouler.
With this, the duchess wore minimal gold jewelry and styled her hair in a sleek pulled-back bun.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
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