Meghan Markle drops 7 clues she’s not done with the Firm (Image: PA)
Meghan Markle has spent the past few years making it abundantly clear she is done with royal life. The interviews, the podcasts, the Netflix series – all carefully crafted to draw a very firm line under that chapter. And yet, here we are.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent the week carrying out a series of engagements in Australia that bear more than a passing resemblance to a traditional royal tour. Yes, we’re being told these are “private engagements” – but let’s be honest, that label is doing a lot of heavy lifting.
Meghan’s appearance Down Under does not look like someone who has moved on. It looks like someone who remembered the brief – and is quietly picking it back up. From hospital visits to tightly controlled public moments, the parallels are hard to ignore. This isn’t accidental. It’s calculated.
Here are the seven moves that suggest Meghan Markle may be inching her way back towards the Firm.
Read more: Meghan Markle can’t ditch royal habits in very telling Australia moment
Read more: Debate whether members of the public should call the Duchess of Sussex ‘Meg’
1. The navy dress: textbook royal protocol
Let’s start with the obvious. Navy on a first-day visit is royal dressing 101. It’s safe, respectful, and crucially diplomatic.
Senior royals have long used colour to send subtle signals, and navy is often deployed to strike that balance between authority and neutrality. Meghan knows this. She’s done it before.
So, stepping out in a structured navy dress wasn’t just a fashion choice – it was a message. One that said: I still understand the rules.
Because if she truly wanted to distance herself, she also wouldn’t be leaning into the royal colour palette. This wasn’t just getting dressed. This was playing the part.
Meghan’s sleek, pulled-back bun marked a clear shift away from her relaxed California style (Image: PA)
2. The hair: goodbye California, hello Palace polish
The messy bun? Gone. The beachy waves? Nowhere to be seen. In their place was a sleek, polished bun – the kind Meghan wore repeatedly during her time as a working royal.
This was very controlled, precise and it looked immaculate from every angle.
While hair might seem like a small detail, in royal terms, it’s everything. It signals discipline, intention, and a level of formality that casual styling simply doesn’t.
This wasn’t a laid-back, California moment. This was curated. And it felt like a deliberate return to a version of Meghan we haven’t seen in years.
Coordinating in muted tones with Prince Harry, the couple presented a polished, almost tour-like front from the moment they arrived (Image: PA)
3. The muted palette: she knows this isn’t official
Interestingly, after that first navy moment, the colour disappeared. Fast.
Instead, Meghan retreated into muted tones – khakis, browns, neutrals, the kind of understated palette that doesn’t compete for attention.
Why? Because she knows the rules. On an unofficial trip, you don’t outshine. You don’t dominate headlines with bold colour statements. You dial it down.
And that’s exactly what she did. Subtle, controlled, and dare we say it – respectful of a system she once rejected.
4. The crowd walkabouts: so much for ‘no public interaction’
We were told there would be no meet-and-greets. No crowd moments. No walkabouts.
Yet, there she was – smiling, waving, shaking hands like she’d never left, as crowds inevitably gathered. They are, after all, still royals in the public eye.
You don’t do it unless you want to be seen doing it. Because every handshake, every smile, every photo op sends the same message: I can still do this. And perhaps more importantly to Buckingham Palace – I’m willing to.
Reports suggest Meghan Markle will make a cameo appearance on MasterChef Australia (Image: MasterChef Australia)
5. “Call me Meg”: a very deliberate downgrade
Titles matter. Especially in royal circles. So when Meghan told a child to “call me Meg”, it wasn’t just a casual remark – it was calculated.
On the surface, it reads as warm and relatable. But dig a little deeper, and it feels like something else entirely.
It signals awareness. A recognition that she no longer holds the same position – and, crucially, that she’s willing to play it down.
For someone once criticised for clinging to status, this felt like a pivot. A subtle one, but a significant one nonetheless.
Meghan’s confident, controlled body language during meet-and-greets felt strikingly reminiscent of her time as a working royal (Image: PA)
6. The gift handover: straight out of the Queen’s playbook
Then came the flowers. Meghan accepted them graciously – and immediately passed them to an aide without breaking stride. Seamless. Practised. Effortless.
This is a move perfected by Queen Elizabeth II and still used by senior royals today. It’s not instinctive. It’s taught.
And it’s all about maintaining flow, control and composure during public engagements.
You don’t just forget that kind of training. And the fact she’s still using it? That’s not nostalgia. That’s intent.
The structured navy dress, complete with button detailing, echoed the kind of refined silhouettes typically reserved for official royal engagements (Image: PA)
7. The itinerary: a ‘private trip’ that looks very official
Finally, the biggest tell of all – the structure itself. Hospital visit? Check. Veteran engagement? Check. Carefully staged appearances with just enough access? Check.
Call it what you like, but this walks and talks like a royal tour. Yes, it’s privately funded. Yes, there’s no official backing. But the blueprint is unmistakable.
Because if this really was a low-key visit, it wouldn’t look like this. This feels rehearsed. Refined. And, frankly, a little too familiar. Almost like an audition.
When you step back and look at the bigger picture, one thing becomes clear. Meghan Markle hasn’t forgotten how to be royal.
Meghan is just choosing when, and how to show it. And it comes at a very convenient moment. With the monarchy slimmed down and Andrew Mountbatten – Windsor kicked to the curb, there’s a noticeable gap – one that Harry and Meghan could easily step back in to fill.