Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career Money
    • Health Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes amp; Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • TIFF's Best-Dressed
    • Low Ponytails
    • 'Ungrateful Immigrant Daughter'
    • Altuzarra
    • Caitlin Clark x Nike
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Meghan Markle, the Queen, Kate Middleton Have All Worn a Lot of Brown Lately

    The Queen in particular may be sending a message with the neutral shade.

    Bianca Rodriguez#039;s avatar
    By Bianca Rodriguez
    Published 16 January 2020 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Face, Nose, Eyebrow, Chin, Headgear, Hat, Fashion accessory, Smile, Fedora,
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    It's been one week since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their plans to step down from "senior" royal family duties, and a lot has happened, to say the least. We've seen statements from the Queen, trips to Canada, family meetings, and...a lot of the color brown? If you're a fan of the royals, you've probably noticed that the shade has showed up in the outfits of the Queen, Kate Middleton, and Markle more than usual.

    The head honcho herself, the Queen, is well-known for her preference for bright colors that can be seen for miles. Her daughter-in-law Sophie, Countess of Wessex, even said so in the documentary The Queen at 90: "Don't forget that when she turns up somewhere, the crowds are two, three, four, 10, 15 deep, and someone wants to be able to say they saw a bit of the queen's hat as she went past."

    One day before the couple announced to the world the big news, Markle was photographed at an engagement at Canada House wearing an all-brown outfit I would die for.

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    Street fashion, Clothing, Fashion, Coat, Snapshot, Outerwear, Suit, Footwear, Formal wear, Overcoat,

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Clothing, Suit, Fashion, Leg, Formal wear, Shoulder, Footwear, Street fashion, Standing, Dress,

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    So when the Queen showed up to church on January 12, four days after the announcement, wearing head-to-toe beige—well, it was a statement, to say the least. "She knew she would be photographed, and that the most recent pictures of her would be published in the papers alongside the most recent pictures of Meghan," speculated Elizabeth Holmes, author of the forthcoming book, HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style, to Harper's BAZAAR. "To have them in the same shade, I took very much to be a sign of unity."

    Queen Attends Sunday Church in Sandringham

    (Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo)

    According to the Very Well Mind' s principles of color psychology, the shade of brown stands for strength and reliability. It's a color that is "often associated with resilience, dependability, security, and safety." The theory seems to hold true, especially since Middleton was seen wearing two pieces of brown—a khaki coat and a brown turtleneck—as she drove her two oldest children to school. But hey, maybe she just was in an all-over brown kind of mood?

    You may like
    • Meghan Markle wears her dark hair in a ponytail and wears a brown shirt and a gold necklace Meghan Markle Channels Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy
    • Meghan Markle holding Prince Harry#039;s arm wearing LA Dodgers hats Meghan Markle “Is Taking One for the Team” For Prince Harry By Moving to Britain
    • Meghan Markle wearing a blue striped shirt Meghan Markle Transforms Her Wardrobe from California to Cotswolds

    To quote Holmes: "It could be a coincidence, but I think perhaps not."

    For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    subscribe here

    RELATED STORIES

    People, Headgear, Street fashion, Photography, Official, Crowd, Cap,

    (Image credit: WPA Pool)

    Royal Reporters React to Meghan and Harry’s News

    day twelve the championships wimbledon 2018

    (Image credit: Clive Mason)

    Meghan Was "On the Brink" Before Her Royal Exit

    Explore More
    Meghan Markle
    Bianca Rodriguez
    Bianca Rodriguez
    Social Links Navigation
    Audience Development Manager

    Bianca Rodriguez is the Audience Development Manager at Future, covering fashion, beauty, and more for Marie Claire, Who What Wear US and Who What Wear UK. In addition to spearheading SEO content across brands—whether writing about wardrobe must-haves or strategizing how to make eye-catching content—she is also an avid reader with a deep love and knowledge for books of all genres. More often than not, you can find her lounging with a good book on the weekend.

    Read more
    Meghan Markle holding Prince Harry#039;s arm wearing LA Dodgers hats
    Royals Meghan Markle “Is Taking One for the Team” For Prince Harry By Moving to Britain
    By Kristin Contino
    Meghan Markle wearing a blue striped shirt
    Royals Meghan Markle Transforms Her Wardrobe from California to Cotswolds
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Prince Harry,  Meghan Markle, Princess Kate and Prince William walking in a row
    Royals Prince William and Princess Kate Have a "Very Difficult Hill to Climb" With Harry and Meghan
    By Kristin Contino
    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle holding hands walking
    Royals 7 Reasons Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are Moving to the U.K.
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    Princess Kate and Princess Charlotte with their heads together at the Commonwealth Games
    Royals Princess Charlotte Had a Special Backstage Experience Orchestrated by Mom Kate
    Prince Harry looks at Prince William on the Buckingham Palace balcony as both wear military uniforms
    Royals Prince William's Stance on Prince Harry Has Changed to a "Cold War"
     
     
    Duchess Sophie wearing a lime green dress with a purple sash
    Royals Duchess Sophie Embraces Fall's Unexpected Color Clashing Trend
    Prince Harry riding an ATV with Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie with their dog running behind
    Royals Princess Lilibet Shares One of Mom Meghan's Favorite Hobbies
     
     
    Latest in News
    campaign photo of The Other September Issue for Substack, written by Gabriella Karefa-Johnson
    Fall fashion Gabriella Karefa-Johnson Wants Fashion to Take Note of the "Underappreciated"
    Princess Kate and Princess Charlotte with their heads together at the Commonwealth Games
    Royals Princess Charlotte Had a Special Backstage Experience Orchestrated by Mom Kate
     
     
    collage of New York Fashion Week guests and celebrities wearing the statement skirt trend
    Fall fashion New York Fashion Week's Easiest Outfit Formula Starts With a Statement Skirt
    Prince Harry looks at Prince William on the Buckingham Palace balcony as both wear military uniforms
    Royals Prince William's Stance on Prince Harry Has Changed to a "Cold War"
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.