Meghan Markle has complained she ‘had to wear nude pantyhose all the time’ during her time as a working royal. 

In what seemed to be a subtle dig at the royal family, the Duchess shared with journalist Emily Chang that wearing sheer tights ‘felt somewhat inauthentic’ and noted that she couldn’t be ‘as outspoken’ a few years back.

However, during her time in the UK, Meghan was photographed several times with bare legs before she and Harry decided to leave the royal family and start anew in California.

Discussing the challenge of balancing her identity as both herself and a Duchess, Meghan told Emily that she is now ‘just being herself,’ indicating a possible critique of her previous experiences within the royal circle.

‘It was different several years ago where I couldn’t be as vocal and I had to wear nude pantyhose all the time!’ the Duchess said, adding it ‘felt a little bit inauthentic’. 

‘Let’s be honest, that was not very myself. I hadn’t seen pantyhose since movies in the 80s! That felt a little bit inauthentic.

‘That’s a silly example but it is an example of when you want to dress the way you want to dress and say the things that are true and you’re able to show up in that space really organically and authentically – that’s being comfortable in your own skin. That’s had different chapters in my life.’ 

Meghan is pictured with Prince Harry and the late Queen Elizabeth II in June 2018 

Meghan Markle has complained she ‘had to wear nude pantyhose all the time’ during her time as a working royal. Meghan appears to be wearing tights 

Prince Harry and Meghan at Kensington Palace, London, after the announcement of their engagement. She does not appear to be wearing tights 

Meghan said she is ‘just being herself’ before appearing to take a dig at her former life in the royal fold 

Meghan has already touched on things she had to sacrifice in order to be a royal, such as her lifestyle blog The Tig, which she ditched in April 2017, a few months before her engagement to Harry.

She linked the decision to the immense changes that came with joining the institution. 

When relaunching her lifestyle brand As Ever in February, Meghan said: ‘As Ever essentially means as it’s always been, and if you’ve followed me since 2014 with The Tig, you know I’ve always loved cooking and crafting and gardening – this is what I do. 

‘And I haven’t been able to share it with you in the same way for the past few years, but now I can so, as things are starting to trickle out there, I wanted you to hear it from me first.’

In 2021, Harry and Meghan stepped back from social media after abuse from online trolls.   

When Emily quizzed Meghan about her current political stance later on in the episode, the Duchess appeared to dodge the question – admitting she hadn’t spoken about it since 2016, before she met Prince Harry. 

Queen Elizabeth II accompanied by the Duchess of Sussex leaving Chester Town Hall, Chester, following a lunch as guests of Cheshire West and Chester Council 

While speaking to Bloomberg’s Emily Chang over smashed burgers and pints of beer, Meghan is asked if there is an ‘inherent tension’ between ‘trying to be relatable’ while also being a Duchess 

Emily referenced Meghan’s appearance on Larry Wilmore’s The Nightly Show in 2016, in which she branded Donald Trump ‘misogynistic’ and ‘divisive’, especially with female voters. 

Speaking about the video, Emily asked if there was anything Meghan was ‘dying to say right now, but you feel like you can’t’ – appearing to ask her current views on US politics. 

But Meghan, who did the interview to promote the new season of her Netflix show, simply responded ‘no’, before appearing to change the subject: ‘I just make a choice of what matters to me and what’s important to me. And that was a different time in 2016.’

Instead, she spoke about how ‘excited’ she was to be on the show at the time. 

Meghan and Emily ate smash burgers during the candid chat while sipping on pints of beer. 

When Emily asked the former royal her opinion about the direction America is headed in, Meghan again appeared evasive: ‘I think right now it’s an interesting time for the entire world. I just hope that people are able to maintain the values that are important to them and to feel safe. 

‘And to remember our humanity with each other in all of it, no matter how polarised the world can be, you go back to the fact we are human beings and can connect.’