7 of the best photos from Meghan Markle's last week as a senior royal, where she said she 'wanted to look like a rainbow'

In "Harry & Meghan" on Netflix, Meghan Markle said there's a specific reason why she wore mostly "muted tones" around the royal family.

Before Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stepped back from the royal family in 2020, she said kept her wardrobe neutral because she was not allowed to wear the same color as the rest of the royal family and didn't want to embarrass them. 

Meghan discussed her style before and after leaving the UK in episodes three and five of "Meghan & Harry," a Netflix docuseries the couple co-produced through their company Archewell Productions. 

However, in episode five, Meghan reflected on her final week of royal engagements in March 2020 before permanently moving to the US.

"Until that last week in the UK, I rarely wore color," Meghan said. "I never wanted to upstage or ruffle any feathers. So I just tried to blend in."

"I wore a lot of color that week," she added about her final week in the UK. "I just felt like, 'Let's just look like a rainbow.'"

Kicking off her week of color, Meghan Markle wore a blue pencil dress to the Endeavour Fund Awards, captured in this viral photo.

As Insider's Mikhaila Friel reported at the time, the photograph of Harry and Meghan smiling and looking at each other in the rain was a huge hit on the internet back in 2020. 

The couple looked radiant and joyful as they arrived for the Endeavour Fund Awards in London. The event would also mark their first joint appearance in London since announcing they were stepping down from the royal family in January 2020. 

 

Meghan balanced her brightly colored outfit by keeping her makeup and hair sleek.

As promised, Meghan didn't hold back when it came to her outfit. As Insider previously reported, she opted on wearing a $1,285 powder blue Victoria Beckham dress, which somewhat coordinated with Harry, who wore a navy suit. 

The dress was the star of the show and she pared back the rest of her look, styling her hair in a sleek low ponytail.

Two days later, Meghan arrived at another royal engagement in a scarlet red ballgown.

Meghan's Safiyaa dress retails at £1,295, or around $1,572.

It features a cape and back train – the Duchess of Sussex accessorized with a scarlet satin Manolo Blahnik clutch and Stuart Weitzman heels, according to Harper's Bazaar. 

 

 

 

It may have been the penultimate event before stepping back from her royal duties, but Meghan appeared to be all smiles.

During episode five of "Harry & Meghan," footage of the couple's final five royal engagements was shown along with the song "She's A Rainbow," by The Rolling Stones. 

Despite being worried about how the public would perceive her that last week in the UK,  Meghan said she was pleasantly surprised with the warm reception. "The people were just so embracing," she said. "They were sad that we were leaving. And we were sad that we were leaving."

At their last royal engagement, Meghan wore another caped gown – this time in an emerald green color.

In their docuseries, Meghan and Harry said their final engagement before departing for the US together was a Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, 2020. 

For the event, the Duchess of Sussex wore an emerald green Emilia Wickstead cape dress with a matching William Chambers fascinator, according to Elle Magazine. She paired the gown with a deep green Gabriela Hearst mini bag, Harper's Bazaar reported. 

Meghan took her colorful look a step further with shimmery eyeshadow.

Meghan not only paired her dress with a matching emerald fascinator, but she also coordinated her looks with her makeup. 

Several photos taken of the Duchess of Sussex at the Commonwealth Service show that she wore shimmery eyeshadow. 

Meghan's final look may have been a warm primary color, but the atmosphere at the Commonwealth service was "cold," according to Harry.

The couple joined the royal family at the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9. Attendees included the Queen, then Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, and Kate Middleton. In the docuseries, Meghan said it was the first time they'd seen anyone in the family since making the decision to move to North America. 

Harry said he and Meghan were "nervous" to see the family. Footage of the service showed that the couple sat behind the senior working royals. "It looked cold," Harry said of how the couple's interactions with the royal family appeared. "But it also felt cold."