Meghan Markle’s pregnancy was made public shortly after the royal wedding of Princess Eugenie, a first cousin of her husband Prince Harry.
Many were suspicious of the news weeks prior to the announcement with excitement of some Royal Family fans reaching fever pitch.
The rumours were in no way quietened when Meghan arrived a Princess Eugenie’s wedding on 12 October 2018.
The stunning former-actress, who married the prince in May 2018, wore a navy blue coat unbuttoned to just above the stomach. This styling choice exaggerated her small bump, which at that time was not known to be the early stages of pregnancy.
Meghan, who once portrayed sexy paralegal love interest Rachel Zane on US cable drama Suits, chose a pricey look for Princess Eugenie’s wedding, the first in a long line of hugely expensive maternity looks.
While Kate Middleton, wife of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, 36, is a stickler for relatively inexpensive British high street brands like the now-folded L.K. Bennet and Whistles, Meghan as a penchant for high end designer goods.
Eugenie’s big day to tequila-ambassador Jack Brooksbank, was no different as the LA-born starlet opted for perhaps her favourite brand, French fashion house Givenchy.
A bespoke number – as is only fitting for a royal – the coat is estimated to have cost in the region £2,999. Meghan had also plumped for custom Givenchy weeks earlier at the opening of the Oceania exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts on 25 September with a dress worth £2,810.
While many would balk at the thought of spending so much on just two items, both of which the Duchess as so far only worn once, this was just the beginning of a lavish maternity wardrobe.
Meghan and Harry took a 16 day tour across Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand, starting on 15 October, just days after announcing the pregnancy, where Meghan showed off more designer garments, including yet another Givenchy garment, this time a black and maroon wool coat, estimated to have cost £2,000.
Her jewellery stole the show during the foreign trip, with pieces worth thousands. This includes pieces from Canadian brand Maison Birks such as the 18ct white gold flex wrap bracelet, which cost £2,538, and the Birks cushion cut sapphire and diamond earrings, which cost £12,000.
But this was not all. Some of the Duchess’s of Sussex’s jewellery on this occasion was worth tens of thousands of pounds, such as a pair of Butani diamond drop earrings worth £21,326 and Princess Diana’s aquamarine ring worth £74,893.
Oscar de la Renta worth £10,000, Antonio Berardi worth £2,683 and a Victoria Beckham coat worth £2,309 also made Meghan’s maternity shopping list.
However, the most expensive piece worn by the Duchess would be out of the realms of fantasy even for some millionaires.
Harry and his wife took a second royal trip during her pregnancy this February to Morocco, where they attended an evening reception at British Ambassador’s residence, Rabat.
For the occasion the now heavily pregnant former-actress draped her bump in a Dior cape dress estimated to be worth £90,000.
Meghan Markle’s maternity wardrobe is estimated, in total, to be worth an incredible half a million pounds.
The £500,000 cost was estimated by fashion researcher Love the Sales, which analysed Meghan’s 75 outfits she wore between last August to her final engagement before maternity leave at Westminster Abbey last week.
Meghan Markle’s style has had a major transformation in recent times according to an expert.
“Meghan Markle has also undergone a major style transformation from her actress red carpet days, stylist Naina Singla said.
“As the Duchess of Sussex, her aesthetic is quite different from her days as a ‘Suits’ actress and its now more adapted to life as a royal.”
So, what has she ditched from her typical style since becoming a Duchess?
Who is Meghan Markle? Quick profile
Meghan Markle was born Rachel Meghan Markle, on August 4, 1981 to parents Doria Ragland and father Thomas Markle.
Her father was previously married to Roslyn Loveless and Meghan has two elder half sibling – sister Samantha Markle and brother Thomas Markle Junior.
Actress
Meghan’s first television appearance in the USA was in an episode of the medical drama General Hospital in 2002.
She later moved on to roles in CSI, Without a Trace and Castle along with bit parts in Hollywood films including Get Him to the Greek, Remember Me and Horrible Bosses.
Meghan was also a “briefcase girl” on Deal or No Deal – but her most famous role was as Rachel Zane in legal drama Suits, which launched in 2011.
She was written out in the finale of the seventh series when her character got married, which aired in April 2018 – just before she got married herself.
Charity and humanitarian work
Meghan Markle’s career in television has gone hand-in-hand with her support for causes close to her heart.
She wrote about the stigma around menstrual health in an article for Time magazine and was a Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada – with whom she travelled to Rwanda for the charity’s Clean Water Campaign.
And her commitment to gender equality has seen her work with the United Nations – receiving a standing ovation in 2015 for her speech to mark International Women’s Day.
Relationships
In September 2011, she wed film producer Trevor Engelson, who she began dating in 2004.
But the pair divorced two years later in August 2013, citing irreconcilable difference.
She was in a relationship with celebrity chef Cory Vitiello for almost two years, before they broke it off in 2016 but the two remain good friends.
And in June 2016, she met Prince Harry on a blind date set up by a mutual friend.
Their relationship began in October that year and just over one year later, on November 27, 2017, the pair announced their engagement.
They married on May 19, 2018 at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
Meghan’s heritage
Some have claimed Meghan Markle is the first mixed-race member of the Royal Family.
Historians are still arguing about Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III.
But Meghan will be the first royal to openly embrace a mixed-race heritage.
She has written about the difficulties of being a biracial actress in Hollywood as she claims she is not black enough for some roles and not white enough for others.