Harriet Sperling Twins With Queen Camilla ― but Meghan Markle May Not Be Happy About It
Harriet Sperling wore the same shade as Queen Camilla, seemingly breaking a rule that Meghan Markle had emotionally revealed in her Netflix docu-series.
The newest royal bride, Harriet Sperling, made her debut at the Royal Ascot after her dreamy wedding to Peter Phillips ten days ago. On Tuesday, the royal couple, along with Princess Anne, rolled down the racecourse in a carriage, with the NHS nurse looking like an absolute vision in a baby-blue dress by Suzannah London and a matching fascinator for the special day. However, royal fans were quick to notice that she was, in fact, twinning with Queen Camilla, who was in the carriage ahead of her ― reviving a debate Meghan Markle had once sparked.
Camilla had also worn a baby-blue dress with floral detailing and an elaborately colored hat. She and King Charles were in sync as usual, as he had donned a baby-blue shirt beneath a cream vest. The similarities between the Queen Consort and Sperling’s color palette would have raised eyebrows a few years back, as, reportedly, royals weren’t allowed to wear the same color as the monarch. This rule was something that even Meghan Markle had emotionally spoken about in her and Prince Harry’s Netflix docu-series, Harry & Meghan.
The Duchess of Sussex had revealed that during her time in the royal fold, she would often wear neutral and muted tones, so as not to clash with the late queen or any other senior female royals. "Most of the time I was in the UK, I rarely wore colour. To my understanding, you can’t ever wear the same colour as Her Majesty if there’s a group event but then you also shouldn’t be wearing the same colour as one of the other more senior members of the family. I wore a lot of muted tones but it was also so I could just blend in. I’m not trying to stand out here,” she had said in the show.
However, things seemed to have softened over time, especially since Charles and Camilla took the throne. In 2024, sources told The Daily Express that the Queen Consort had relaxed the protocol around blue, since Kate Middleton and Duchess Sophie were both fond of the color. “There was a time when (Camilla’s dresser) Jacqui (Meakin) was a bit apprehensive to allow blue to be worn at the same time as the Queen, but she's relaxed that now as long as the blues are very different shades. In the end, it all became a bit comical with all the ladies seeing the funny side,” sources claimed.
However, on Tuesday, Sperling not only wore the same color but also seemingly the same shade of it at Royal Ascot ― a privilege that Markle claimed not to have received when she married into the family. Their positions within the monarchy were notably not on the same rung, while Markle was a senior working royal with a title, Sperling, just like her husband, does not have a title, nor is she a working member of the Firm.
Sperling finished her look with a stunning pair of drop earrings, a bracelet, and an intricate bun. She could be seen toasting to champagne with Phillips in the gallery. Royal Ascot this year marked the pair’s first joint appearance at a royal event post their wedding.
