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Meghan Markle, now the Duchess of Sussex, joined Prince Harry at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London for a gala performance of the Broadway hit Hamilton on Wednesday. The evening was a benefit for the Sentebale Foundation, founded by Prince Harry, which raises funds to support the mental health and wellbeing of children affected by HIV in Lesotho and Botswana. For tonight’s festivities, the Duchess unveiled a new and daring silhouette—a tuxedo dress from Canadian label Judith & Charles.
Hitting just above her knee, the outfit was a radical shift from the prim pieces the Duchess has sported in the past. She also seems to have done away with the nude pantyhose she has worn for more formal royal engagements. While the Duchess has tried her hand at suiting—remember the Alexander McQueen suit she donned to the Endeavour Foundation gala in February and the Givenchy version she wore in Ireland this past July?—she’s typically relied on a wardrobe of dresses from Givenchy, Oscar de la Renta, and Ralph Lauren. This latest ensemble ties those two fashion ideas together in one neat package.
Tonight we have a special gala performance for @sentebale in the presence of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and author of #HamiltonLDN, @Lin_Manuel. Funds raised will go to support the mental health and well-being of children and young people affected by HIV in Lesotho & Botswana pic.twitter.com/ZwVl7vJRxm
— Hamilton West End (@HamiltonWestEnd) August 29, 2018
The royals arrived in a royal motorcade, and chatted with guests in the lobby, including the show’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, before they headed into the theater, where a special-edition program waited for them at their seats. But, it seems, Prince Harry wasn’t content just being in the audience. After the show ended, he went up on stage, and began singing Hamilton show tune “You’ll Be Back.”
The crowd erupted in laughter—not just because, well, it’s funny seeing a super-famous person sing—but because of what he was singing. “You’ll Be Back,” in the show, is sung by King George III, infuriated at the lost of his colony. So having Harry, a British royal himself, poke fun at his own monarchy was all the better. He soon switched gears, and delivered a speech thanking everyone for attending the night’s performance.
"You say…"
Thank you to the cast and crew of @HamiltonWestEnd for a fantastic performance, raising awareness and funds for @Sentebale's work with children and young people affected by HIV #HamiltonLDN pic.twitter.com/M5hmjTfhEz
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) August 29, 2018
Between the song and the press coverage, it was a high-profile visit to Hamilton by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. But it wasn’t their first. Markle first saw the show back on Broadway in 2016. Her date that evening was none other than her good friend and fellow actress, Priyanka Chopra. Markle even documented the night on her now-deleted Instagram, posting a picture of herself and Chopra holding up a playbill in front of a taxi.
In late December, Hamilton opened in London’s West End. Almost two months later, on February 17, Markle saw the show again, but this time with Prince Harry in tow. (A Valentine’s Day gift, perhaps?). This July performance will be Prince Harry’s second time seeing Hamilton, and Markle’s third. Of course, they’re just the latest superfans: Heralded as “an American classic,” the show has racked up an impressive 11 Tonys and 7 Olivier Awards.
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This article first appeared on Vogue.com
