{"id":396188,"date":"2025-09-04T03:15:29","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T03:15:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/396188\/"},"modified":"2025-09-04T03:15:29","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T03:15:29","slug":"the-forbidden-fashion-piece-uniting-mary-of-denmark-kate-middleton-and-meghan-markle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/396188\/","title":{"rendered":"The ‘forbidden’ fashion piece uniting Mary of Denmark, Kate Middleton, and Meghan Markle"},"content":{"rendered":"

For decades, denim was practically off-limits for royals. But from trailblazer Princess Anne to Queen Letizia,<\/strong> it has evolved from a symbol of rebellion to a staple in the royal wardrobe.<\/p>\n

On September 1st, at Ryvangen Park in \u00d8sterbro, Copenhagen,\u00a0Queen Mary of Denmark\u00a0<\/strong>launched Nature Week 2025 alongside Danish schoolchildren, observing insects, tracking animal footprints, and lighting campfires with matches the traditional way.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Queen\u00a9 Martin Sylvest AndersenQueen Mary of Denmark <\/p>\n

But beyond the outdoor activities, what truly caught attention was her outfit, which consisted of hiking pants paired with a denim shirt. A seemingly simple choice, yet one that connects Mary to a broader trend among modern royals.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Queen\u00a9 Martin Sylvest AndersenQueen Mary of Denmark participates in the official opening of Nature Week 2025<\/p>\n

Just like Meghan Markle in her Californian looks, Kate Middleton during recent appearances in Scotland, and Queen Letizia this summer, Mary shows that denim is no longer taboo in royal circles.<\/p>\n

\"Queen\u00a9 Martin Sylvest AndersenQueen Mary of Denmark sported a denim look during the official opening of Nature Week 2025
\nWhy were jeans unthinkable at the palace?<\/p>\n

Just a few decades ago, the sight of a queen or princess wearing pants would\u2019ve been disruptive. Royal women’s wardrobes were dominated by skirt suits and ladylike silhouettes, almost an extension of protocol itself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It was Grace Kelly who, in Monaco, began to normalize wide-leg pants for informal events. In the UK, Princess Diana naturally wore jeans to charity events, marking a turning point.<\/p>\n

\"Grace\u00a9 Archive PhotosGrace Kelly (1929 – 1982)<\/p>\n

Today, royals not only wear trousers regularly, but they also embrace denim shirts. This is where Mary connects with a lineage of women who\u2019ve skillfully reinterpreted royal dress codes with nods to modernity.<\/p>\n

\"Princess\u00a9 Tim GrahamPrincess Diana wearing a sweatshirt, baseball cap, boots and jeans.
\nMeghan Markle’s denim looks:<\/p>\n

When it comes to shirts as a royal staple, Meghan Markle is the modern pioneer. In the second season of her Netflix docuseries, it’s clear that shirts are one of her signature pieces, as they are sober, versatile, and easily adaptable to various settings.<\/p>\n

During her years in California, when her style leaned more towards L.A. streetwear, Meghan wore denim shirts multiple times, even paired with matching shorts in a very relaxed look.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Meghan\u00a9 NetflixMeghan Markle’s denim look<\/p>\n

In 2019, at the U.S. Open, supporting her friend Serena Williams, Meghan wore a denim shirtdress. It was both a tribute to the sporty American spirit and a demonstration that denim, far from being a ‘lesser’ fabric, can be elegant with the right attitude.<\/p>\n

Kate Middleton joins the trend:<\/p>\n

The Princess of Wales has also embraced the trend. Earlier this year, during a visit to the islands of Mull and Iona in Scotland, she wore a denim shirt paired with countryside-style pants.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Catherine,\u00a9 WPA PoolCatherine, Princess of Wales, has also embraced the denim trend.<\/p>\n

And in 2023, at a scouting event in London, she repeated the formula with a similar garment, proving that denim can work in both family and public settings.<\/p>\n

Kate, always more restrained in her fashion choices, represents the British take on this trend, wearing casual pieces elevated by classic accessories and tasteful styling.<\/p>\n

\"Catherine,\u00a9 Samir HusseinCatherine, Princess of Wales, wearing a stylish look in Scotland.
\nQueen Letizia’s all-denim outfit:<\/p>\n

The trend has crossed over to Spain as well. Queen Letizia joined the denim wave this past summer with a full denim look, including shirt and pants, during her visit to wildfire-affected areas in C\u00e1ceres on August 29.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Queen\u00a9 Carlos AlvarezQueen Letizia of Spain in an all-denim outfit
\nWas Princess Anne ahead of her time?<\/p>\n

But when it comes to royals and denim, perhaps no one was more ahead of her time than Princess Anne. In the summer of 1964, at just 14 years old, she was photographed aboard the royal yacht Bloodhound during the Cowes Week regatta on the Isle of Wight, wearing a short-sleeve denim-style shirt.<\/p>\n

In a look that could easily pass for modern festival wear today, the photo shows a young Anne smiling, in an era when princesses hardly dared to wear pants.<\/p>\n

\"Princess\u00a9 Princess Diana MuseumPrincess Anne wearing a denim shirt in 1964
\nThe evolution of denim:<\/p>\n

The denim shirt was originally designed as a functional garment in the U.S., made for miners and workers in the West. Over time, it became the uniform of cowboys, an icon of American culture symbolizing toughness, masculinity, and a pioneering spirit.<\/p>\n

In the 20th century, Hollywood elevated it, from John Wayne to James Dean, and even Marilyn Monroe. Today, it is a statement of freedom, authenticity, and modern style.<\/p>\n

\"Prince\u00a9 Princess Diana MuseumPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and his daughter, Princess Anne.<\/p>\n

This time, Mary wore a Polo Ralph Lauren design. Since the late 1960s, the New York designer has been the ultimate storyteller of the American dream through fashion. His shirts, whether denim, linen, or Oxford, have become a large trend.<\/p>\n

From places as different as a Danish park, a New York stadium, or a Scottish island, Mary, Meghan, and Kate are speaking the same fashion language. What was once a protocol violation is now a way to express modernity, connection with the public, and a reminder that royalty evolves too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For decades, denim was practically off-limits for royals. But from trailblazer Princess Anne to Queen Letizia, it has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":396189,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7708],"tags":[7709,10017,7721,7719,7718,533,7720,1281,447,21665,7710,519,448,7711],"class_list":{"0":"post-396188","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-royals","8":"tag-british-royal-family","9":"tag-celebrity-fashion","10":"tag-duchess-of-sussex","11":"tag-duke-of-sussex","12":"tag-harry","13":"tag-kate-middleton","14":"tag-meghan","15":"tag-meghan-markle","16":"tag-prince-harry","17":"tag-queen-mary","18":"tag-royal-families","19":"tag-royal-family","20":"tag-royals","21":"tag-uk-royal-family"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115143857404236099","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/396188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=396188"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/396188\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/396189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=396188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=396188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=396188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}