In 2015, just one year before Meghan Markle met Prince Harry, she was asked during a red carpet interview who the "fiercest female character on TV" was. Taking a brief pause she responded confidently that it was Olivia Pope from Scandal.
Meghan clearly had an affinity for ABC's hit Shonda Rhimes political drama—the ensemble cast of which was led by Kerry Washington as "fixer-in-chief" Olivia Pope—during its seven season run from 2012 to 2018.
The show's production ran parallel with Meghan's own in legal drama Suits on a competing network and, in 2016, the future royal identified Washington as her "girl crush" during another red carpet interview.
Washington's Pope was the standout role of the series, with the character facing the challenges of running a hit D.C. crisis management firm under the suffocating eye of a dangerous father, all while navigating an extramarital affair with the President of the United States.
Washington won praise and SAG, Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal, while Pope became an international fashion icon.
The character's keen style, honed by costume designer Lyn Paolo, was reported on by fashion publications around the world, issuing guides on how to "get the look."
It is through this look of elevated wardrobe basics in cashmeres, jerseys and knits, combined with wrap coats, classic tailored suits and extravagant eveningwear all in a color pallet of neutrals that Meghan can be seen to have taken some of her greatest style inspiration, a celebrity stylist has told Newsweek.
On February 16, the duchess debuted a new outfit while attending an Invictus Games preliminary event in Canada with Prince Harry, wearing an oversized belted Sentaler wrap coat with elbow-length suede Max Mara gloves. It's a look that could have been pulled straight from Olivia Pope's closet... and the stylistic similarities don't end there.
"If Meghan Markle had a girl crush, surely it would be on the character of Olivia Pope in Scandal. Indeed, the similarities in wardrobes and style are quite astounding," celebrity stylist and royal fashion expert, Miranda Holder, told Newsweek after the Invictus appearance.
"Both women understand the impact of a dramatic, avant-garde silhouette, and both ooze glossy sophistication and elegance in spades.
"Pope's signature camel coats are also a trademark of Markle's wardrobe," she said. "And again, both love the crispness of the color white and have a penchant for the caped shoulder, and both are immaculately groomed, channelling that coveted quiet luxury aesthetic, at all times.
"The reality is that these two women look utterly fabulous, with many a fashion fan the world over reduced to drooling over their outfits, hoping to recreate the essence of them for a fraction of the price. Meghan has always had expensive taste—from falling for a royal prince to her Givenchy wedding dress—but she has a good eye for high-quality fabric, cut and drape, and despite her more casual California-cool roots, the finer things in life—and her wardrobe—suit her."
Meghan couldn't be blamed or helped from taking inspiration from Washington's Pope, Holder notes, with the duchess' admiration for the actress and character being so clearly stated before her marriage.
"Was the duchess directly inspired by Washington's wardrobe in the show, or is this a happy coincidence? I think it's the former," she said. "We know that Meghan is a huge fan of the show and in particular the character of Olivia Pope herself, and as an actress where better to look for inspiration for your next role in life as part of the power-couple estranged from the British royal family than to a fellow strong, savvy and ultimately stylish female, even if they are merely fiction?"
Newsweek approached representatives of Meghan Markle via email for comment.
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.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
