Meghan Markle stole the show in Miami this weekend as she cheered on her husband, Prince Harry, as he played in a charity polo match in Florida benefiting Sentebale.
The Duchess of Sussex, 42, looked ethereal as she strolled through the countryside in an $812 (£650) flowy white dress by Californian designer Heidi Merrick, paired with a £2,650 Maison Valentino bag, but her choice of footwear It sparked an argument among the royals. fans.
Meghan’s stylish outfit was completed with a pair of £565 ‘Purist 105’ nude nappa leather pumps from one of her favorite brands, Aquazzura. However, some pointed out that wearing stilettos in the field might not be the most practical footwear choice.
While some people expressed concern that she would have struggled to walk in high stilettos, as one photo showed the duchess being helped up the stairs, others suggested she would have struggled to join in the half-time ritual of stepping into the pits. of the field. caused by horses’ hooves.
It is not the only sporting event in which Meghan has dared to challenge high heels, as she has been seen wearing stilettos on rugby fields, basketball courts and athletics tracks; However, a celebrity photographer previously revealed that she has a very good reason for doing so. .
The Duchess of Sussex, 42, attended the Royal Salute Polo Challenge in Florida in support of Sentebale with Prince Harry on Saturday and sparked debate with her choice of footwear.
Glenn Gratton previously told FEMAIL that Meghan’s choice of footwear is likely due to the fact that she appears at sporting events alongside Prince Harry, who is significantly taller than his wife.
While Meghan stands at a modest 5ft 6in, Harry’s height is a towering 6ft 1in, meaning there is a noticeable height difference between the couple.
Gratton said: “Couples with a large height difference appear slightly unbalanced in photographs and often the shorter of the two ends up looking even smaller and is constantly looking at their partner.”
The Duchess has previously favored stilettos on sports fields (pictured at a Santa Barbara polo match in 2022)
Meghan also chooses high heels to attend indoor sporting events – pictured in Australia at wheelchair basketball in 2018.
“Rod Stewart and his wife Penny have a big gap, but this is minimized when Rod wears Cuban heels and Penny doesn’t wear super high heels.
“In the case of Harry and Meghan, she will wear high heels to maximize her height and shorten the distance if possible.”
Meghan’s sister-in-law Kate is known to wear sneakers or loafers when attending sporting engagements, but the duchess is taller than the average British woman.
Kate is around 5ft 10in, while William is 6ft 2in, which means she can comfortably wear heels without being taller or wearing flats and not feel like there’s a huge discrepancy.
Although Meghan has opted to wear flats for some sporting appearances, such as some events during last year’s Invictus Games in Frankfurt, she tends to prefer high heels.
The duchess wore sky-high stilettos as she presented medals to the winning wheelchair basketball team, the United States, at the Invictus Games in Frankfurt last year.
In 2022, while watching Harry play in a polo match in Santa Barbara, Meghan channeled Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman in a stunning polka dot blouse and white shorts, and finished off the ensemble perfectly with another pair of Aquazzura heels.
According to Gratton’s analysis, the height difference between Meghan and Harry was significantly reduced when she took his hand and they walked through the countryside together.
The Duchess also opted for stilettos during last year’s Invictus Games in Frankfurt, as she expanded her height during some of the events, including wheelchair basketball.
When she presented the medals to the winning team, the United States, she wore a stylish all-black ensemble with skinny jeans, a knit vest and stilettos.
After noticing her choice of heels again this weekend to watch the polo at the Royal Salute Polo Challenge, some fans noted the impracticality of Meghan’s stylish outfit.
One person wrote: “I’ve attended polo matches there, it’s a real problem to have heels on, especially at half-time when spectators trample the holes on the field.”
“But elegant Meghan pulls it off.”
Another expressed concern that Meghan’s heels could be ruined by trampling.
They wrote: ‘In a polo match, at the break between chukkas, it is the spectators’ job to step on the holes in the field made by the horses’ hooves.
“Good luck with those heels, Meghan.”
During her time in the United Kingdom as a royal, the Duchess also showed loyalty to the elegant stiletto heel.
When she attended the UK team trials for the Invictus Games at the University of Bath in April 2018, she wore a pair of stiletto boots even though it involved traversing the athletics track and grass field.
And for her first Buckingham Palace garden party, just days after her wedding to Harry, she paired her nude dress with another sharp stiletto heel, although a shorter block heel might have been more comfortable for walking on. grass.