This is why Duchess Meghan rarely wore colour as a working royal in the United Kingdom

The Duchess of Sussex explains how her personal style changed from her time working alongside the royal family to now, living independently with Prince Harry and their two young children in California.

According to Meghan, she chose to wear a few bright colours when she was a working royal because of the constant pressure she felt to not overshadow the late Queen Elizabeth II or other senior royals such as Catherine, the now Princess of Wales.

"Most of the time that I was in the UK, I rarely wore color—there was thought in that," she says. "To my understanding, you can't ever wear the same color as Her Majesty if there's a group event, but then, you also shouldn't be wearing the same color as one of the other more senior members of the family. So I was like, 'Well, what's a color that they'll probably never wear?' Camel, beige, white. So I wore a lot of muted tones, but it also was so I could just blend in. Like, I'm not trying to stand out here. There was no version of me joining this family and trying to not do everything I could to fit in."

While in the UK, Meghan became known for her sleek and sophisticated looks that included plenty of luxe outerwear and classic dresses—though we did not know the true reason behind those style choices at the time. But since relocating to California, Meghan's fashion sense has undoubtedly shifted. For some recent appearances with Harry here in the United States, she has opted for brighter gowns courtesy of the likes of Christopher John Rogers and Wes Gordon for Carolina Herrera, representing a more carefree but still curated approach to style.

This piece originally appeared in Harper's Bazaar UK