CHRISTIAN Dior is one of the most famous names in fashion, having been strongly associated with many members of the royal family.
Here we take a look at what happened between the French fashion house and Meghan Markle.
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What is the history between Dior and the royal family?
Born in 1905, Christian Dior, the fashion designer, climbed the ranks of several Parisian fashion houses before establishing his own establishment in 1946.
One of the early royal admirers of the designer was Princess Margaret, the sister of Queen Elizabeth II.
She became a client of the fashion house and one of Dior’s most famous designs, the “Margaret Dress,” was named after her.
Queen Elizabeth II also shared a close connection with Dior.
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She appointed Doir to design her Coronation gown for the crowning ceremony in 1953.
The gown, famously called the “Hartnell Dress,” was a collaboration between Dior and British couturier Sir Norman Hartnell.
Over the years, various royal family members have continued to wear Dior creations for public appearances.
Dior dressed Prince Harry for King Charles’ coronation in May 2023 – as the royal forwent wearing a military uniform.
Shortly after the coronation ceremony, Dior took to its social media to reveal Kim Jones was the designer behind the suit.
“Tailoring fit for royalty. Dior is honoured to have dressed Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, for the coronation of King Charles III in a custom design by Kim Jones,” the brand wrote on Instagram.
“Seen arriving at Westminster Abbey, gain an insight into the savoir-faire of his three-piece suit next,” it added.
Why was it speculated that Meghan Markle would have a deal with Dior?
In June 2023, it was reported that Meghan was in talks about taking on a deal with Dior.
Following the cancellation of her Spotify podcast after just one season, there was widespread speculation that the Duchess of Sussex was poised for a new role with the French fashion house.
Meghan has worn Dior several times throughout her time as a working royal, including at the late Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in September 2022.
However, sources close to the Royals said no contract had been inked.
Dior also expressed its surprise and confusion when the idea of a deal was initially brought up.
A source told the Telegraph: “The Duchess of Sussex is not in talks to sign a deal with Dior.
“There is no truth to the claims that she will partner with the French fashion house,”
A Dior insider said its team was “nonplussed as to how the story came about”.
Who became ‘the Duchess of Dior’ in 2023?
Meghan lost out on the opportunity of a lucrative Dior job to a Kate Middleton actress.
It was revealed in November 2023, that Meg Bellamy, 21, who plays a young Kate Middleton in season six of the hit royal drama The Crown is to be the new face of Dior.
An insider told The Daily Mail: “They have been queuing up for Meg, she is playing the most famous woman in the world in a globally famous television drama, so many labels and brands want some of that.
“She is a total unknown, but she is being treated like Kate, an A-list princess.”
What deals and contracts does Meghan Markle have?
After leaving the royal family and their royal duties, Prince Harry and Meghan vowed to become financially independent.
It was reported that the couple would support themselves through Prince Harry’s $10 million inheritance from his mother, Princess Diana.
With the world eager to know their story, lucrative million-dollar deals started rolling in from AppleTV, Netflix, and Spotify.
The couple signed a deal with Netflix through their production company, Archewell Productions, with a hefty payment of $100 million for multiple projects.
They have since released one documentary, Harry and Meghan.
Their upcoming documentary series titled, Heart of Invictus, is in the works.
While their third documentary is to be shot in South Africa, the Sussexes are also planning to delve into the rom-com genre with the streaming giant
In June 2023, the couple made headlines when it was reported that their 25-million-dollar deal with Spotify had ended.
According to Rolling Stone, the couple would pay back a portion of their deal money and look for another company to produce podcasts with.
In a joint statement, they said: “Spotify and Archewell Audio have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together.”
Royal biographer Tom Bower believes that the couple’s “joint ventures are falling apart” and that Meghan is finding it difficult to sell her brand.
“They’re beginning to taste the medicine that they handed out after the Oprah interview and they’re finding it very very hard to keep their brand reputable,” Bower told new magazine.
“They’re constantly having to defend themselves and grasping at opportunities that don’t exist anymore.”
