Was the great royal burgundy parade a cheeky swipe at Meghan? AMANDA PLATELL wonders if it was a subtle, long-distance riposte to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after their attack on the 'racist' royal family

Commentary from Daily Mail contributor Amanda Platell: When the Princess of Wales arrived at Westminster Abbey last week with daughter Charlotte in matching burgundy-colored coats, we all thought ‘how sweet!’ Mother and daughter touchingly co-ordinated for Kate’s Together at Christmas carol service.

Hot on their heels came Princess Anne ’s daughter, Zara Tindall (pictured), her blonde hair shining under the camera lights and wrapped up against the bitter cold in a smart coat of similar hue.

Oh no, I thought, a fashion faux pas! Would Kate be cross? But Zara was followed by Kate’s sister, Pippa (pictured), beaming for the cameras in a belted, military-style coat – in yet another variation on the shade of the moment.

An unfortunate coincidence, surely...On closer inspection, however, it transpired that Prince William was wearing a tie perfectly attuned to his wife’s color scheme, as indeed was Mike Tindall complementing Zara’s choice.

Even Kate’s dad, Michael Middleton (pictured), had opted for the appropriate neckwear, although his was more of a deep strawberry tone as befits a man whose hallmark is measured understatement.

Curious and curiouser. Had Kate sent some color edict out to the in-laws and her own family or had they all become simultaneously besotted with fifty shades of burgundy?

Well, at first glance, it certainly looked a little strange. In fact, it reminded me of a Christmas card from Coleen with all the Rooneys in matching pajamas.

Yet since that royal outing last Thursday, at an event which was being filmed for broadcast on ITV on Christmas Eve, I’ve been wondering that perhaps it wasn’t a coincidence after all. That what we were witnessing was a subtle, long-distance riposte to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after their attack on the ‘racist’ Royal Family.

Let me explain. That very same day, the last three episodes of the Netflix whingefest that is Harry & Meghan sharing their ‘truth’ with the world had been released and the content was far more devastating than what had gone before.

Harry accused his father Charles (pictured at the Carol Service) of lying, his brother of bullying him and, intentionally or not, painted a picture of his grandmother, our late Queen, as a puppet-like figure, controlled by courtiers and advisers.

 This outburst followed the Duke of Sussex’s claim in earlier episodes that William, unlike him, had not married for love but had, in Kate, found a woman who simply fitted the royal mould.

The Prince and Princess of Wales had every reason to feel bitterly betrayed by the brother who was once so close to them both. Of course the response of the Firm is to say nothing, to keep calm and carry on with lives of duty, but I like to think some members – the women – decided not to take it entirely lying down.

The clue to their co-ordinated response may lie in Meghan’s seemingly trivial comment in the documentary about how the restrictions of royal life impacted her sartorial choices.

‘Most of the time that I was in the UK, I rarely wore color,’ she said. ‘There was thought in that. To my understanding, you can’t ever wear the same color as Her Majesty, if there’s a group event. But then you also should never be wearing the same color as one of the other more senior members of the family.’ Well it seems some senior royals didn’t get that particular memo, Meghan.

But there is more. ‘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. So there’s no version of me joining this family and trying to not do everything I could to fit in. I don’t want to embarrass the family.’ Pictured: Zara and Mike Tindall at the Carol Service. 

And what was the Queen Consort, Camilla, wearing that night? A brilliant white coat with a neat collar.

While Sophie, Countess of Wessex, opted for varying shades of winter white and caramel, too.

So was this a show of sisterly support –endorsed by those menfolk in the know – for Kate on her special night after the battering she and William suffered at the hands of H&M? I like to think so. Those mischievous grins to the cameras as they entered the Abbey suggest to me there was something going on.

Interestingly, burgundy – or as fashionistas prefer ‘viva magenta’ – has been hailed by the fashion color bible, Pantone, as the color of 2023. It is described as ‘audacious, full of wit, and inclusive of all’.

There surely could be no better statement to make in face of the salvoes from California. Yes, the royals must maintain a dignified silence over accusations made by the Sussexes, but I believe the burgundy-fest we witnessed was a carefully calculated act of solidarity by women who love and support the institution the Sussexes so despise.

Or in less refined language, one giant raspberry directed at Harry and Meghan!

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