Have you ever wondered what the royals looked like before they found fame? We're obsessed with this old-school photo from one of Meghan Markle's very first red carpets.
The then 25-year-old aspiring actress, who was yet to be cast in hit show Suits or meet her Prince Charming (aka Harry), was every inch the Hollywood ingenue when she walked the red carpet at the George Lopez/Great Chefs of LA Event For The National Kidney Foundation back in November 2006. For her all-important pap walk, young Meghan arrived at The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey in California wearing flared bootleg jeans and a string of faux pearls.
Meghan, now 42, looked adorable in her Y2K ensemble, teaming her distressed denim with a cropped black jacket and plain T-shirt.
She matched the colour of her necklace to her oversized arm candy and pulled her glossy hair back up in a high ponytail. We can't get over how wholesome she looked!
© GettyThe future Duchess of Sussex highlighted her youthful glow with a dewy base, nude lipstick, liberal amounts of blusher and teal eyeliner. We couldn't get enough of our coloured eyeliner at the time either — it was a real look.
Meghan's choice of necklace is particularly interesting given that multi-strand pearls are beloved by the royal family, in particular by her future grandmother-in-law, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
© GettyAnother similarly low-key public appearance from around the same time saw Meghan rocking jeans and a baseball cap at a Baby2Baby event.
In a photograph from the Kari Feinstein style lounge ahead of the 2005 Emmys, the Duchess of Sussex was seen holding up an adorable babygrow with a beaming smile on her face.
© USA NetworkA Best Life magazine interview at the time reveals what hopes Mehan had for her future. "Other bucket-list items: I want to travel more and I can’t wait to start a family, but in due time," she said.
These days, mother-of-two Meghan still favours a minimalist style, embracing high-end labels, clean silhouettes and classic fits.
© Samir HusseinShe's definitely come into her own in the fashion department, however, and is enjoying reverting back to injecting more colour and personality into her wardrobe since resigning as a senior royal.
The podcast star confessed that during her time as a working royal, style etiquette was something she took incredibly seriously. "Most of the time that I was in the UK, I rarely wore colour," Meghan explained in her Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, revealing that there was "thought" behind her neutral sartorial choices.
© Getty"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."
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Meghan added: "I'm not trying to stand out here… There's no version of me joining this family and trying to not do everything I could to fit in. I don’t want to embarrass the family."
Love the royals? Check out HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast. Find out what Prince William's name will be when he becomes King...
