In 2023, Meghan Markle Got Her Shoulders Back

For the royal watchers who have been following the ups and downs of Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and their estrangement from the royal family over the last few years, it was no surprise that the Duchess of Sussex didn’t make an appearance in London for the coronation of King Charles III this past May. It did come as a shock when the public got a glimpse of how she spent her day instead through paparazzi images showing her on a hike in Santa Barbara, wearing leggings, sunglasses, and a pair of well-worn Merrell boots. 

Despite her in-laws’ mini-fashion show across the pond, one of the day’s most memorable images was taken when Meghan took off her J.Crew jacket and showed off her toned and tanned biceps. It was also representative of her fashion choices for the rest of the year, which were low-key, unique, and put a special emphasis on showing a little more skin than she ever did as a royal. 

In 2023, Meghan and Harry found themselves in the headlines a bit less for what they did than for what happened to them. From the May car chase in New York City that spawned days of deconstruction and skepticism to the fever pitch of speculation when the couple’s Spotify deal ended after only one season of Meghan’s podcast Archetypes, it might have seemed like the couple’s most challenging year. Earlier this month The Hollywood Reporter even named them as one of the year’s “losers.” But if you only look at the clues in Meghan’s fashion choices, it’s not hard to tell why sources close to the couple told People that they’ve never been happier. 

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 at Merkur Spiel-Arena on September 16, 2023 in Duesseldorf, Germany.By Chris Jackson/ Invictus Games Foundation/Getty Images.