You probably remember exactly where you were when those photos dropped. It was late December 2017, and suddenly, the internet wasn't talking about Christmas—it was talking about a dress. Or, more specifically, a $75,000 sheer couture gown that sent royal traditionalists into a full-blown tailspin.
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released their official engagement portraits, they didn't just share a happy milestone. They basically threw the royal rulebook into a Windsor fireplace. Looking back from 2026, those images feel like the opening credits of a movie we’ve all been watching for nearly a decade. They weren't just "pretty pictures." They were a manifesto.
The Ralph & Russo Drama Nobody Saw Coming
Honestly, the sheer audacity of the main outfit is what everyone stuck on. Meghan wore a black tulle gown from Ralph & Russo’s AW17 collection. It featured a translucent bodice decorated with gold feather appliqués and a massive ruffled silk organza skirt.
People lost their minds.
Some thought it was the most romantic thing they'd ever seen. Others? They were horrified. A future royal in a "naked dress"? It was unheard of. At the time, Kensington Palace had to clarify that the gown was "privately purchased," which is a polite way of saying the taxpayers didn't foot the bill for that jaw-dropping price tag.
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But it wasn't just about the money. It was about the vibe. Traditionally, royal engagement photos are stiff. Think Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2010—classic, safe, and very "we are the future King and Queen." Meghan and Harry went the opposite direction. They went for high-fashion editorial.
Alexi Lubomirski and the "Vibe Check"
The man behind the lens was Alexi Lubomirski. Funny enough, he’s actually a prince himself (a Polish one), but he made his name shooting for Vogue and capturing A-listers like Beyoncé.
Lubomirski recently shared on TikTok that he almost thought the gig was a prank when the Palace called him. He’s also given us some juicy behind-the-scenes tea about how the shoot actually went down at Frogmore House.
- The Hugging: He started the session with "huggy pictures" inside to loosen them up. Apparently, there are a bunch of super-intimate photos we'll never see because they were deemed too private for the public.
- The Overcoat Shot: You know the black-and-white one where Meghan is tucked inside Harry’s coat? That was a total fluke. Lubomirski was inspired by a photo of Audrey Hepburn’s husband wrapping her in his coat. He saw Harry’s Burberry overcoat and just said, "Try this."
- The Glow: The photographer mentioned that every time they looked at each other, they "literally glowed." It wasn't just posing; it was genuine, slightly sappy, new-relationship energy.
How Meghan Flipped the Script on Royal Posing
If you look closely at the photos, there is a technical shift in how Meghan interacts with the camera compared to Kate Middleton. Body language experts, including the well-known Judi James, have pointed out that Meghan does something called "camera courting."
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She looks directly down the lens.
Kate, for the most part, follows the old-school royal tradition of averting her gaze or looking slightly off-camera, which creates a bit of a barrier. Meghan’s direct eye contact was her way of saying, "I see you, and I’m talking to you." It was social-media-era royalty in a nutshell. It felt accessible, even if she was wearing a dress that costs more than a mid-sized SUV.
The "Other" Outfits We Forget
While the $75k dress grabbed the headlines, there were two other looks that were way more relatable.
- The Cream Sweater: For the close-up shot of the ring, Meghan wore a simple cream cashmere sweater, rumored to be from Victoria Beckham. It was soft, cozy, and perfectly contrasted the massive three-stone diamond on her finger.
- The White Coat: During the initial press call at the Sunken Garden, she wore a white wrap coat by the Canadian brand Line the Label. It crashed their website in minutes. Literally. You couldn't even load the homepage.
This was the birth of the "Meghan Effect." It proved that whatever she touched—or wore—turned to gold (or at least sold out in seconds).
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Why We Are Still Talking About This in 2026
It’s easy to dismiss engagement photos as fluff, but these were a pivot point. They signaled that Harry and Meghan weren't going to be "standard" royals. They wanted to be seen as a "power couple" in the Hollywood sense, not just the Windsor sense.
The choice of Frogmore House for the backdrop was also a bit of foreshadowing. It became their home, then the center of a massive renovation controversy, and eventually the place they moved out of when they headed to California.
What You Can Learn for Your Own Shoot
If you're planning your own engagement session and want to channel this energy (minus the couture budget), here’s the real-world takeaway:
- Vary your textures. The mix of the heavy Burberry wool coat against the soft cashmere sweater made the black-and-white shots feel expensive and "layered."
- Don't fear the "posed" look. Lubomirski proved that sitting on stairs or wrapping into a coat doesn't have to look stiff if you're actually interacting with your partner.
- Pick a "Statement" vs. "Safe" look. Have one outfit that is totally over-the-top and one that feels like "you" on a Sunday morning.
The controversy over the Ralph & Russo dress has faded, but the impact hasn't. Those photos were the first time the world saw Meghan Markle not as an actress, but as a global icon. They were bold, slightly risky, and undeniably beautiful. Whether you love them or think they were "too much," they changed the way the British Monarchy handles its public image forever.
Next Steps for You
To get the most out of your own engagement photography or to better understand royal style, you should look into:
- Researching "The Meghan Effect" brands: Check out smaller sustainable labels like Veja or Strathberry that Meghan popularized early on; many still offer styles inspired by her 2017-2018 wardrobe.
- Studying Alexi Lubomirski’s "ReSHOOT" series: He often posts technical breakdowns of his royal work on social media, which is a goldmine for anyone interested in portrait lighting and composition.
- Evaluating your own photo locations: Look for historical properties or public gardens that offer architectural "bones" similar to Frogmore House to give your photos a sense of timelessness.