Did Meghan Markle Steal Dress Worth $1,695 From Old Photoshoot? Netflix Promo Sparks Controversy

In a fresh controversy, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has been accused of “keeping” a $1,695 designer dress that she borrowed for a 2022 magazine photoshoot.

This controversy surfaced after Meghan

Markle was spotted wearing the same dress — an emerald green Galvan gown — in a promo for her new Netflix holiday special, With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration.

According to reports, Markle borrowed the dress during for a 2022 Variety magazine cover photoshoot. Multiple sources have cited journalist Vanessa Grigoriadis, who spoke on a podcast about the surprising claims that she retained clothes and jewellery from a high-profile shoot, despite her significant personal wealth.

There is, however, conflicting reports suggesting whether this retention was either intentional theft, a simple misunderstanding, or part of an unconfirmed “royal archive” protocol. But most reports have mentioned that the garment was retained by her without permission.

The festive promotional material has reignited a debate over the organised protocol of high-end fashion loans. Many observers were quick to spot that the gown was identical to the one she wore for her 2022 Variety magazine cover feature.

An exclusive report claimed that Markle “took the dress from the shoot without asking”. Grigoriadis reportedly “spilled the beans” on Andrew Gold’s Heretics podcast in 2024, revealing that the Duchess allegedly did not return “a lot of stuff” after she “wore it in a very high-profile photo shoot”.

“What’s shocking about hearing these kinds of alleged stories is that somebody who is living in a $15 million plus mansion in Montecito, who’s just had $100 million deals, would care enough to take home some jewellery and clothes from a photoshoot that she can clearly afford,” Grigoriadis was quoted.

This is yet another thorn on the side for the Duchess, who seems to be plagued with controversies ranging from her married life with Prince Harry to her business ventures. The couple continues to be under intense scrutiny after they stepped away from Royal titles.

But many reports quoted sources defending Markle’s move as part of “archiving” her clothes as a royal, asserting that it was known that items pulled “may not be returned”. This is not the first time high-end designer pieces from photoshoots have followed the Duchess home.

She was recently spotted in a black-and-white, tweed strapless midi dress by Chanel during a date night. Intriguingly, she had previously worn that exact designer piece for her 2022 cover shoot for The Cut.