Meghan Markle Accused Of Copying Kate Middleton’s Cape Dress Style At Recent Canada Gala Event Today

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is facing accusations on social media of imitating Catherine, the Princess of Wales, after stepping out in a black cape-style gown at a charity gala in Canada last week, with critics drawing comparisons to a green dress Catherine wore at Wimbledon.

Meghan and Prince Harry attended the David Foster Foundation’s 40th anniversary celebration in Victoria, British Columbia, on Friday, an event honoring four decades of fundraising by the charity founded by the Canadian music producer to support families of children requiring life-saving organ transplants. For the occasion, Meghan wore a black one-shoulder gown by Toronto-based designer Greta Constantine, identified as the label’s Fabrizio One-Shoulder Cape Gown, retailing for $1,795. The dress featured a thigh-high slit and a hemline that flowed into a short train.

Meghan paired the gown with a set of diamond and sapphire butterfly earrings that once belonged to the late Princess Diana, along with a sleek low bun. Harry wore a traditional black tuxedo and bow tie for the appearance, and the couple posed for photos on the red carpet with Foster and his wife, singer and actress Katharine McPhee.

The look quickly drew comparisons on social media to a green midi dress by designer Emilia Wickstead that Catherine wore to Wimbledon earlier this year, with some users pointing to the cape-style silhouette shared by both garments as evidence that Meghan had drawn inspiration from, or directly copied, her sister-in-law’s earlier look. One user wrote on X that Meghan “had to wear a cape dress last night,” questioning the timing of the choice. Another user drew a sharper contrast between the two women’s styling, writing that Catherine’s dress looked like it came with a cape, while saying Meghan looked like she’d “wrapped herself in bedsheets.”

The commentary adds to a long-running pattern of online comparisons between Meghan and Catherine’s fashion choices, a dynamic that has persisted since Meghan joined the royal family in 2018 and has continued even after she and Harry stepped back from official royal duties in 2020. Fashion commentary comparing the two women’s red carpet and public appearance choices has remained a recurring feature of royal-focused entertainment coverage, often accompanied by broader debates over how each woman is perceived by segments of the public and press.

Not all commentary on Meghan’s Victoria appearance was critical. Several fashion outlets covering the gala offered positive assessments of the look, describing the asymmetrical silhouette as well suited to the black-tie occasion and noting favorable comparisons to earlier red carpet appearances in which Meghan favored clean lines and simple, structured silhouettes. Coverage also highlighted the choice to wear a Canadian designer’s gown for the Canada-based event, framing it as a deliberate nod to the host country, alongside the sentimental detail of wearing jewelry once belonging to Diana.

Meghan shared a glimpse of the evening herself the following day, posting a smiling selfie with Harry to Instagram along with video clips from the gala, captioned simply with a Canadian flag and a red heart emoji, offering no further commentary on the outing or the ensuing social media reaction to her dress.

Harry and Foster have maintained a friendship dating back several years, with the music producer previously arranging for Harry, Meghan and their son, Prince Archie, to stay at a private residence on Vancouver Island in 2019 shortly after the couple’s initial relocation to North America. Foster has spoken in the past about his connection to the couple, noting his own Canadian roots and the Commonwealth ties between Canada and the British monarchy as part of what motivated him to assist the family during that period.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and relocated to California, a decision that followed public statements from the couple describing tensions within the royal family, including allegations of racist attitudes toward their son that they raised publicly in a televised interview. Since their departure, the couple has welcomed a daughter, Princess Lilibet, and continued to build independent media and philanthropic ventures based in the United States, while making occasional public appearances such as Friday’s gala in Canada.

Social media comparisons between Meghan and Catherine’s fashion choices have periodically generated broader news coverage in royal-focused outlets, with commentators noting that near-identical silhouettes, colors or styling choices between the two women tend to draw outsized attention online regardless of the timing or context of each appearance. Fashion historians and royal commentators have periodically pushed back on the framing of such comparisons as evidence of rivalry, noting that overlapping design trends, particularly cape-style and one-shoulder gowns, have been broadly popular across red carpet fashion over the past several years, making similar silhouettes appearing on multiple public figures a common occurrence rather than necessarily a deliberate choice by either woman.

Neither Meghan nor representatives for the Princess of Wales have publicly commented on the social media reaction to Friday’s gala appearance.