7 Meghan Markle Outfits That Featured A Cheeky Nod To Archie & Lilibet

One expects the British royal family to be smartly dressed at all times, but their wardrobe sometimes sends subtle messages as well. King Charles III has often been seen wearing his favorite tweed coat in a show of sustainability, and Catherine, Princess of Wales' 2026 Trooping the Colour outfit was a close stylistic match to the one her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, wore to the same event nearly four decades earlier. While she may not be a working royal anymore, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, also wears things that mean more than you realize, from the gifted earrings she wore to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II to the Heidi Merrick "Windsor" dress that nodded to her husband's family line. Of course, some of her sartorial choices have also referenced her children.

As a proud mother of two, the former "Suits" star makes sure the world knows her children are never far from her mind. She's careful to preserve their privacy on social media, which gives Meghan a maternal privilege other royals don't have. That doesn't mean she can't pay tribute to them in other ways, though. On numerous occasions, the duchess has given subtle stylistic shout-outs to Prince Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Princess Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. The youngsters probably don't know about their mom's efforts yet, but when they eventually do, they'll certainly be proud. (Okay, maybe they might do a little eye-rolling first and groan, "Mommm!")

The Duchess of Sussex has been showing off her motherly pride right from the start. Just two months after son Archie was born in May 2019, Meghan Markle attended Wimbledon, and oh, if only we could all look that good after 2 a.m. feedings. She kept her makeup and accessories minimal, but did sport a necklace she was gifted by a British-born Australian jeweler, one with the simple yet meaningful initial, "A." Naturally, the jeweler was flooded with orders after images of Meghan went public.

In a gesture befitting a true royal, Meghan Markle used her 40th birthday in 2021 as inspiration for her "40x40" project. Along with celebs such as Melissa McCarthy, Adele, and other celebs, the duchess encouraged the public to spend 40 minutes mentoring women returning to the workforce post-COVID. She and McCarthy appeared in a short video promoting the venture, and Meghan prominently wore two Logan Hollowell constellation necklaces representing Archie and Lilibet's zodiac signs. (That's Archie's Taurus sign on the left and Lili's Gemini on the right.)

Being a British duchess — even a nonworking one — involves a lot of travel, and it's not always practical to bring young children along. So when Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, visited Colombia in August 2024, she carried them in a different way: through the gold Ariel Gordon Jewelry disc necklace seen in this picture, which has their names engraved on it. In years to come, the young prince and princess will be glad their mom remembered them — but they might be disappointed they didn't get to play drums along with Mom and Dad!

The devastating 2025 Los Angeles wildfires threatened to destroy Harry and Meghan's lavish home. They were spared, but many others weren't. In the aftermath, the Sussexes reached out to help the affected families in every way they could, including helping a Billie Eilish fan replace the memorabilia she had lost. Meghan posted an Instagram video thanking Adam Levine, Behati Prinsloo, and Eilish for making it possible. The story was compelling, but so was the shirt she wore. Look closely at the collar, and you'll see "Archie & Lili" embroidered there. 

Meghan may have been nearly 7,500 miles away from her children during her spring 2026 trip to Australia with Harry, but she kept them — almost literally — close to her heart by wearing the "All Mama, All Heart" t-shirt sold by Alliance of Moms. The L.A.-based group, founded by Meghan's good friend Kelly McKee Zafjen, supports young mothers within the city's foster care system. The (ahem) heartwarming design served to remind onlookers that the duchess cherishes bedtime stories and sticky kisses as much as non-royal moms do.

Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, had a special stylist on hand to help her pack for a business trip to Switzerland in May of 2026. In this Instagram post, she posed in her walk-in closet to show off a light purple Akris dress apparently chosen by Lilibet. "Mama's little helper," she captioned it. We're guessing the young princess saw all the neutral-toned pieces in her mother's collection and decided she needed something a little more colorful, as well. 

During her stay in Switzerland, Meghan was invited to attend the installation ceremony of a memorial to children who lost their lives as a result of their social media interactions. As she gave her heartfelt speech about the need to protect children from cyberbullying and other dangers inherent in technology, her outfit reflected the mood. In addition to her somber dark suit, the duchess wore another Logan Hollowell gold necklace, this time with a diamond and an emerald. Since emeralds are Archie's May birthstone, it's thought this was a quiet way of including him in Meghan's thoughts.