Meghan Markle Accused of Breaking Strict Dress Code at Netflix Party: ‘She Was Trying to Upstage’
Meghan Markle’s supporters dismiss claims she ignored a Netflix dress code, labeling the viral social media backlash as unfounded speculation.
Amidst a new wave of social media criticism, Meghan Markle’s supporters are now pushing back against allegations that she intentionally ignored a strict dress code. While attending a star-studded gathering in Montecito organized by Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos to celebrate the second season of Beef, the Duchess of Sussex’s choice of outfit soon ignited a debate online — with critics questioning if she was trying to upstage the show’s star and guest of honor, Carey Mulligan.
Joined by Prince Harry, who was dressed in a traditional navy suit, Markle turned heads in a striking $715 'Gale' gown in chartreuse, designed by Heidi Merrick. The color of the outfit soon became a lightning rod for criticism online, as netizens contended she overlooked a ‘black and white’ dress code specifically intended to leave Mulligan as the only attendee in a bright hue. On Reddit, a person slammed, “The dress code was black and white because the star of BEEF wore chartreuse -and she was the only one that was supposed to…Meghan was trying to upstage the actual star.”
The chorus of disapproval continued, as another netizen pointed out, “Does it say that anywhere? I do think it's interesting that every single person seems to be wearing black, white, and brown....except Carey and Meghan lol.” A third individual added a sharper tone, sneering, “Only the guest of honor was supposed to wear color; the rest were to wear neutral shades. But not, Meghan, she arrives in a chartreuse dress!” Momentum for the ‘broken rule’ theory grew once images of Mulligan and Markle wearing nearly the same chartreuse-adjacent shades appeared. The narrative, however, soon unraveled when additional photos from the event emerged, revealing that many guests were actually dressed in shades of blue, brown, and different shades of green.
On X, defenders of the Duchess were quick to label the dress code rumors as mere fan fiction created solely to portray her in a negative light. “I don’t believe in those X accounts that (without evidence or confirmation, just speculation) say there was a 'black and white dress code,’” argued one user, pointing out the diverse palette of the attendees. Challenging the practicality of the claims, another user asked, “My question is how could she have found out in advance what Carey's color would be?” A third brutally said, “Do you actually believe the stuff you post? Get a life. People are allowed to wear whatever color they want to a party.”
Rather than being a sign of personal friction, the fact that both women wore the same shade likely stems from prevailing fashion trends — Chartreuse has recently been announced by Vogue as the ‘It color’ for Spring 2026. But despite that, Markle continues to face increased scrutiny — with this fashion debate arriving on the heels of criticism she faced earlier this week after she shared a candid Easter video featuring her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. That incident saw detractors accusing the Duchess of staging the scene with fresh eggs, with many claiming they looked suspiciously clean and therefore ‘fake.’ Much like the dress code drama, however, fans and poultry owners rallied to her side, demonstrating that her online defense squad remains highly vigilant.
