The Duchess of Sussex made an appearance Saturday evening ahead of her second wedding reception in a bespoke gown designed by Stella McCartney.
Meghan and her new husband Harry left Windsor Castle shortly after 7 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET) in a silver-blue Jaguar E-Type driven by the prince. The couple were on their way to the private evening reception, hosted by the groom’s father, Prince Charles.
Harry had also changed his outfit, appearing in traditional black tie rather than the military dress he wore for the earlier ceremony.
Meghan’s lily white gown featured a high neck and is made of silk crepe. She paired the dress with silky satin heels by Aquazzura, a luxury Italian shoe label. They feature a nude mesh with baby blue soles. Her hair was styled for the second reception by George Northwood, a London-based stylist.
Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, also changed into a Stella McCartney look on Saturday evening. She opted for a scarlet red long-sleeved dress in silk cady, paired with a gold box clutch by the same designer.
Around 200 close family and friends received invitations to Frogmore House for the event, another royal residence in Windsor.
The royal bride surprised onlookers earlier in the day when she revealed a couture design by Givenchy’s artistic director Clare Waight Keller. Waight Keller was hardly mentioned by bookies and fashion experts in the lead up to the big day.
Meghan will make a speech at the evening event, Kensington Palace told CNN’s Max Foster earlier Saturday.
Traditionally, it is unusual for the bride to deliver a speech at her wedding reception, that honor usually being reserved for the bridegroom, best man and father of the bride.
Stella McCartney, the 46-year-old daughter of Paul McCartney, is one of the most renowned and respected female designers in the notoriously male-dominated world of luxury womenswear. Her clothes, which combine elements of traditional femininity with Savile Row-quality tailoring in her designs, have been worn by the likes of Rihanna, Cara Delevingne and Gwyneth Paltrow.
A number of other guests at Saturday’s ceremony arrived wearing Stella McCartney creations. Oprah Winfrey wore a blush, double-tiered dress with lace trim made of sustainable viscose by the female designer, while Amal Clooney stunned onlookers in a Stella McCartney golden yellow gown.
Since founding her eponymous label in 2001, following a term as creative director of Parisian fashion house Chloé, McCartney has been a advocate for sustainable fashion. She rejects the use of fur and leather, and has been vocal in denouncing the environmental damage caused by the fashion industry.
“It’s just the way I was brought up,” McCartney told CNN in 2015, when asked about her environmental advocacy. “It’s been ingrained in me to have respect for fellow creatures and to be mindful of how one approaches life, so it was a no-brainer for me to take that into the way that I conduct myself in business.”
It’s a point of view that may have resonated with Markle. She and Prince Harry requested that, in lieu of gifts, well-wishers donate to seven charities, including two environmental groups: Surfers Against Sewage and The Wilderness Foundation UK.
As reported by CNN